The report, The effect of parents' employment on outcomes for children, by Professors John Ermisch and Marco Francesconi at the Institute for Social and Economic Research and published by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, followed the progress of children born between 1970 and 1981. It found that although full-time work increased the family income, there was 'less time for mothers to interact with their families and this tended to reduce later educational attainments'.
The report said longer periods of full-time working by mothers when children were aged one to five were also linked to an increased risk of unemployment as a young adult and of experiencing psychological stress.
The report suggested 'the need to consider carefully the skills of childcare workers and their ability to contribute to the educational and developmental needs of pre-school children'.
Professor Ermisch acknowledged that the quality and range of childcare had improved since the 1970s. Even so, he said, 'the implication of our findings is that if parents have less time to spend with young children before they start school, there may be long-term consequences.
'There is evidence in support of policies such as parental leave and longer maternity leave. Entitling parents to more time with their children can be justified as a potential investment in the labour force of tomorrow.' Diane Rich, professional officer at Early Education, said, 'The research looks alarming but it does not say anything about the quality of the provision. If this research is to have an impact on parent's decisions to take on full-or part-time work, they need to know who was looking after the children.'
Dr Tony Munton, senior research officer at the Thomas Coram Research Unit, said, 'I welcome any changes to Government policy that give parents more flexibility. But the data used in this research describes a situation faced by working parents more than 20 years ago. We know the availability and quality of childcare has changed dramatically since then. The research is not a good basis for shaping employment and daycare policy.' The report costs 10.95 plus 1.50 p&p from the Family Policy Studies Centre, 9 Tavistock place, London WC1H 9SN (020 7388 5900). A free summary is available from JRF, The Homestead, 40 Water End, York YO30 6WP or at www.jrf.org.uk