The Nature and Consequences of Residential Mobility in Early Childhood

Heather Schwartz, RAND Corporation
Lynn Karoly, RAND Corporation

Although researchers have identified primarily negative consequences from residential mobility on children’s outcomes in the K-12 school years, little published research addresses the incidence and consequences of residential mobility before children enter school. Yet these early years are known to have substantial impacts on children’s long-term success, and gaps in children’s readiness for school emerge even before kindergarten. Based on a nationally representative sample of children born in 2001, this paper examines the incidence and nature of residential moves in early childhood. We document the number, timing, and distance (within- or across-neighborhoods) of residential moves from the time that a child is aged nine months to approximately five years old. We also test the hypothesis that repeated mobility, in particular, disrupts the type and continuity of early childhood care provision.