Child Care, Household Composition, and Aggressive Behavior in 3-year-olds: An Examination of Risk and Protective Factors in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study

Abstract

This paper examines associations between aspects of child care, household composition, and aggressive behavior in a sample of 3,097 3-year-olds in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal survey of a cohort of new parents and their children in 20 large U.S. cities. I find that children whose primary child care arrangement is parental care, relative care, or non-relative care exhibit more aggressive behavior than children whose primary care arrangement is center-based care. Children of mothers cohabiting with a romantic partner show higher levels of aggressive behavior than those living with married biological parents. Children of single mothers whose primary child care arrangement is parental care show particularly high levels of aggressive behavior. Results shed light on the effects of risk factors in the child care and home environments on children's socio-emotional development, and on the effects of an accumulation of risk.