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IZA Discussion Paper No. 18627
May 2026
The Impact of Preschool Entry Age on Low-Income Children's Use of Health and Social Services
Maya Rossin-Slater, Adrienne Sabety, Aileen Wu

We find that public preschools are a gateway to health and social services. Low-income children born shortly before their state’s school-entry cutoff date are more likely to receive school-based services, speech-language pathology, occupational or physical therapy, and vision and dental services at ages three and four, compared to children born after the cutoff. They are also more likely to receive financial support through Supplemental Security Income. These findings suggest that preschool enrollment connects low-income children to the health and social service system in ways that extend beyond the classroom.

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Mark Fallak
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Olga Nottmeyer
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+352 585-855-501
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Christina Gathmann
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The IZA@LISER Network is a global community of scholars dedicated to excellence in labor economics and related fields, now coordinated at the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) following its transition from Bonn.

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