Early Childhood Support in Chile

Chile Crece Contigo (ChCC), which translates to Chile Grows with You, is a comprehensive early childhood protectionism system introduced in 2007 by the Chilean government. The goal of the program was to reduce inequality during the first years of children’s lives by supporting all children and their families in an integrated manner. Children are enrolled in the program beginning at their mother’s first prenatal appointment and ending at age nine. Enrollment is compulsory and universal. 

ChCC services begin during gestation. Expecting mothers are offered regular health check-ups and personalized health plans, parental educational programs, and materials for newborn socio-psychological stimulation. In 2009, ChCC increased the number of preschools and kindergartens with extended hours from 484 facilities to 655 facilities. Centers offered parental education and special educational programs for rural children. Early childhood education was free for the children in the bottom 40th percentile of income or non-income vulnerabilities, and families considered to be socioeconomically vulnerable were given priority access to other services offered by the public sector. 

Rude (2024) employs a regression discontinuity design (RDD) to identify the impacts of ChCC on schooling outcomes 12 years after it was introduced. The paper finds the exposure to the program increased standardized math scores by 0.883 points, standardized reading scores by 2.059 points, and grade point averages by 0.03 points. These estimated increases are all higher for boys than girls, and are all lower for economically vulnerable children. Rude (2024) estimates the MVPF of ChCC.