How does early parenting support improve family outcomes? Experimental evidence from Spain

Parenting practices in early childhood lay the foundation for children’s long-term outcomes. However, by shaping how parents interact at home, better parenting skills may also affect the family as a whole. This paper studies the impact of early parenting support on family outcomes using the randomized implementation of Espacios Infantiles: 0-3 , a pilot program involving one thousand disadvantaged families in Spain. The intervention improved parenting abilities and led to better short-run household relationships and educational outcomes for children in treated families. We argue that these effects stem from early-childhood guidance fostering parental socio-emotional skills, thereby improving interactions with other family members. Heterogeneity analysis shows that the effects are not linked to a particular children’s developmental stage, consistent with the workshops improving parents’ general abilities. These results point to overlooked channels through which parenting support can improve family well-being.