The Long-Time Consequences of Parental Early Left-Behind Event on the Human Capital of Rural Children in China

Abstract

Abstract Background Speedy urban development over the preceding years has been with the migration of laborers in rural China. The essential inquiry that has arisen pertains to whether the experience of workers’ movement has a long-term mixed influence on the human capital accumulation among rural offspring. The goal of current study is to address how parental early left-behind event relates to long-time development outcomes in rural offspring. Methods This paper uses a nationally representative dataset from China Family Panel Studies to investigate whether parental early left-behind event impacts the prevalence of human capital among rural children. To do so, this paper uses econometric models to analyze the causality between parental early left-behind event and the offspring’s human capital accumulation, and then uses sensitivity analysis to test robustness. Results We find evidence that rural children whose parents have left-behind event in early life have fewer human capital. These findings also differ markedly by the heterogeneity of parental left-behind event. Further, mothers who have experienced being left behind are more likely to allocate increased time to their offspring. Conversely, fathers who have experienced being left behind tend to exhibit lower socioeconomic outcomes within homes and put fewer investments in children’s education. Conclusions Our study proposes that there is strong correlation between parental early left-behind event and children’s development. Based on our findings, it is recommended that the Chinese government should take measures to minimize instances of involuntary separation between parents and children caused by institutional limitations. This action is crucial for enhancing the human capital outcomes among rural offspring.