First Name:
Devon
Last Name:
Patton
Major Department:
Reading Education and Special Education
Thesis Director:
Denise Brewer
Date of Thesis:
May 2015
All developed countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development provide maternity leave, time away from work with the birth or adoption of a new child, to their citizens (Ray, 2008). However, there is wide variation in the amount of leave provided to individuals, and the United States (US) has one of the shortest policies. This thesis investigates the possible impacts that the length of maternity leave has on the social/emotional, cognitive, and health development of young children. To provide bearing of the US impact, a comparison of the impact of the Norwegian maternity leave policy is included. The author concludes by making recommendations of potential ways to lessen the developmental impact on US children as a result of the national maternity leave policies.
Complete Thesis (PDF, 508KB)