Long-Term Effects of Early External Child Care on the Development of Mental Disorders, Risk Behavior, and School Achievement in Adolescence. Results of a Longitudinal 10-Year Study

In Germany, more and more children under the age of 3 years are cared for outside the family (either institutionally in kindergarten or by child caregivers): in 2006, 14% of those under the age of 3, in 2016 as high as 33%. The long-term effects of caregiving outside the family on children's mental health are rather low compared with the effects of family background variables. International studies show differential effects depending on the quality of care, the age of entry, the extent of social disadvantage (lower social class, single parent), and a non-Western cultural background. There are only a few German studies on this topic and the transferability of the results of international studies may be problematic. This German longitudinal study investigated the long-term effects of early external child care (ECC) on the development of mental disorders, risk behavior (sexual risk behavior, regular and problematic alcohol consumption, Internet dependence), and school achievement, and whether these effects are moderated by social status, migration background and parenting status (single parent), and entry age. The source of the data was the longitudinal project "Future Family III." The sample consisted of 249 families (girls = 47%, boys = 53%). The average age of children in adolescence was 14.4 years. In total, 43% of the children were cared for by their parents, 42% were cared for outside the family. Results showed that early ECC resulted in higher levels of mental disorders compared with solely parental care. The differences were most pronounced for externalizing disorders. The effects of ECC on risk behavior and school performance were lower. Migration background and parenting status were found to be significant moderators, but not social status. For children with a migration background, ECC is more beneficial, while for children without a migration background, parental care tends to lead to favorable effects. Contrary to the findings of previous ECC studies, there are consistently negative influences of ECC for children of single parents. In the case of two-parent families, there were no differences between parental care and ECC. The already higher vulnerability of children of single parents to mental disorders may be compounded by exposure to ECC. This result may also be specific to Germany. An early entry age into ECC is associated with a higher rate of mental disorders. There are a number of limitations that limit the validity of the study. When parents decide for early ECC, the age of entry, the quality of ECC, and one's own social situation should be taken into account. More longitudinal studies are necessary for a better understanding of the effects of early ECC.