We wanted to understand why parents use Finland’s “cash-for-care” benefit in such gendered ways. This program gives money to parents of young children (under age 3) who don’t use public daycare. While helpful for some, it often leads to reduced earnings—especially for women.
To dig deeper, we compared three types of first-time parents:
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Female same-sex couples (SSC)
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Adoptive different-sex couples (DSC)
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Biological different-sex couples (DSC)
By comparing these families, we could explore whether differences in caregiving are about gender norms, childbirth/breastfeeding, or financial reasons.
What We Found
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All families divide cash-for-care unequally, but the gap is largest in biological and adoptive DSCs, and smallest in SSCs.
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Taking cash-for-care is linked to significant earnings losses for parents, regardless of family type.
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Gender norms play the strongest role in who takes on caregiving—not just biology or finances.
Why It Matters
This study suggests that traditional gender expectations, more than practical or financial needs, drive how caregiving is divided—even in adoptive families or those without pregnancy. If policies like cash-for-care were used more equally, it could help reduce the income gap that often opens up after parenthood—especially for mothers in different-sex couples.
You can read the full article here.
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