Widening Socioeconomic Inequalities in Early Childhood Language Milestone Attainment in Israel, 2016-2022

Approaching International Children’s Day, we present a study that examines disparities in language abilities among young children. The research, conducted by Taub Center researchers in collaboration with researchers from the KI Institute, found that these disparities are partly rooted in the mother’s education level and differing socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, the research finds that these gaps widen with age and have been increasing in recent years.

The researchers propose several policy measures to strengthen the systems providing early childhood services with the aim of reducing these disparities.

The study is based on data from the Ministry of Health’s Tipat Halav (well-baby clinics) database and findings from a comprehensive literature review published by the Taub Center on the impact of socioeconomic disparities on the development of young children.

Delays in reaching language development milestones are linked to maternal education levels

Developmental milestones are used to measure children’s basic abilities to ensure they are developing at an expected pace relative to their age. The study found that the percentage of children with language-related delays in reaching these milestones increases inversely with the mother’s education level (academic, post-secondary non-academic, secondary, or primary). In other words, the higher the mother’s education level, the greater the percentage of children achieving language milestones on time.

It was also found that disparities based on maternal education level grow with the child’s age. Among children aged 2–3 years, the gaps are more significant compared to gaps at age 0–1 or 1–2. Moreover, the data indicate an upward trend over time (from 2016 to 2022) in the percentage of children delayed in achieving language milestones. In other words, each passing year sees an increase in the percentage of children experiencing delays in language development, and this trend is evident across all age groups.

The increase over time is sharper and more pronounced among children of mothers with primary and secondary education compared to those of mothers with post-secondary or academic education. This finding indicates a widening gap between socioeconomic groups in Israel.

Dr. Yair Sadaka, Director of the Child Development Institute at the Ministry of Health in Be’er Sheva and a researcher at the KI Institute and Ben-Gurion University, stated: “The study’s findings align with international literature highlighting a notable rise in language and developmental disabilities in recent years. Importantly, the study suggests that these challenges are explained, at least in part, by delays in achieving developmental milestones and are not solely attributable to increased social awareness of developmental disabilities.”

Dr. Sarit Silverman, a senior researcher at the Taub Center and one of the study’s editors, added: “Disparities in language development between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds can be identified as early as the second year of life, but to take actions that will help reduce these gaps, we must first understand the mechanisms behind their formation.”
 
To reduce the gaps in language development, it is essential to strengthen early childhood services

Since the enactment of the National Health Insurance Law in 1995, the operation and responsibility for Tipat Halav stations have been fragmented among several entities. This fragmentation hampers vital progress and improvements, leaving the system’s future uncertain. The literature review and findings of our study highlight the significance of the Tipat Halav system, which provides free preventive care to children from birth to six years old. According to the researchers, these clinics play a crucial role in maintaining the health of Israel’s young population. Additionally, the data collected at these clinics enable monitoring of trends, promoting research, and informing data-driven policy.
Based on our study’s findings and a review of the literature, we present several policy measures to strengthen services geared towards early childhood and narrow the developmental gaps between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds:

1. Regulate Tipat Halav operations: Centralizing the operation under a single entity responsible for all aspects will ensure regular updates to budgets and personnel standards in line with population growth and the adoption of new approaches based on the latest research.
2. Consolidate developmental monitoring and professional services: Integrating services provided at Tipat Halav with those at child development clinics will ensure continuity of care and increase the likelihood that children identified with developmental delays receive necessary diagnostic evaluations and appropriate treatment.
3. Access to quality educational frameworks: Quality early childhood education supports language, cognitive, and socioemotional development during formative years. Ensuring access to quality educational and care frameworks for every child, regardless of socioeconomic status, will provide an equal starting point, benefiting both the children and society as a whole.