This paper examines how interventions during early childhood affect disciplining
methods in Colombia, where poor households are eligible for a number of social programs
targeted to young children, based on a proxy means index. These programs
include child care options, nutritional programs and health checks. I analyze whether
these programs affect parents’ disciplining methods through two different identification
strategies. I implement a regression discontinuity design exploiting the discontinuity
on the probability of benefiting from these programs, as a function of the proxy means
index used for targeting. I also implement a propensity score matching using differences
in length of exposure to one of these programs, a subsidized child care program. Results
from the first identification strategy show that fathers of children who benefit from
these programs to a larger extent, use less physical ways to discipline their children.
On the other hand, mothers of children who have been exposed longer to the subsidized
child care option, appear to move to more pedagogic ways of discipline. These results
hold in particular for households with working or more educated mothers.