Improving child welfare in middle income countries: The unintended consequence of a pro-homemaker divorce law and wait time to divorce
研究发现在一个中等收入的天主教国家，离婚合法化及支持家庭主妇的离婚法使儿童入学率提高3.4至5.5个百分点，但离婚等待时间每增加6个月，入学率下降约1个百分点，对中学教育影响更大。
This study identifies the impact of access to and the speed of divorce on the welfare of children in a middle income largely Catholic country. Using difference-in-difference estimation techniques, I compare school enrollment for children of married and cohabiting parent households before and after the legalization of divorce. Implementing pro-homemaker divorce laws increased school enrollment anywhere from 3.4 to 5.5 percentage points, and the effect was particularly salient on secondary school students. I provide evidence that administrative processes influencing the speed of divorce affect household bargaining and investments in schooling. With every additional six months wait to the finalization of divorce, school enrollment decreased by approximately one percentage point. The impact almost doubles for secondary schooling. When contemplating development policies, advocates, policymakers, and leaders should not overlook the impact changes in family policies and administrative processes can have on advancements in child welfare and, ultimately, economic development..