Childcare Subsidy Policy Variations and Physical Intimate Partner Violence

Purpose: Intimate partner violence (IPV) poses significant challenges to individuals and families, with economic hardships exacerbating the risk of IPV. This study aims to investigate the relationship between state policy variations in childcare subsidies and physical IPV rates at the state-level. Methods: Using data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System and the Urban Institute policy database, this study examined the relationship between state-level childcare subsidy policies (i.e., enrollment income eligibility and copayment) and physical IPV rates across 28 states for the years 2011–2019. Generalized linear models were employed to examine whether higher eligibility income and lower copayment are associated with lower rates of police-reported physical IPV. Results: The findings showed that higher enrollment income eligibility was associated with lower rates of physical IPV, while copayment amounts were not significantly associated with the rates of physical IPV. Conclusions: Accessible childcare subsidies hold promise as a preventive strategy against IPV among parents with young children. By addressing economic barriers and promoting financial independence, childcare subsidies may help mitigate IPV risk and reduce economic stressors contributing to couple conflicts and violence.