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Safety Nets Investments in Children

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  • Hilary W. Hoynes

    (University of California, Berkeley)

  • Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach

    (Northwestern University)

Abstract

In this paper, we examine what groups of children are served by core childhood social-safety net programs—including Medicaid, EITC, CTC, SNAP, and AFDC/TANF—and how that’s changed over time. We find that virtually all gains in spending on the social safety net for children since 1990 have gone to families with earnings, and to families with income above the poverty line. This is the result of welfare reform and the expansion of in work tax credits. We review the available research and find that access to safety net programs during childhood leads to benefits for children and society over the long run. This evidence suggests that the changes to the social safety net may have lasting negative impacts on the poorest children.
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Suggested Citation

  • Hilary W. Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, 2018. "Safety Nets Investments in Children," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 49(1 (Spring), pages 89-150.
    • Handle: RePEc:bin:bpeajo:v:49:y:2018:i:2018-01:p:89-150
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    2. Marianne P. Bitler & Hilary W. Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, 2020. "The Social Safety Net in the Wake of COVID-19," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 51(2 (Summer), pages 119-158.
    3. Barbara Broadway & Tessa LoRiggio & Chris Ryan & Anna Zhu, 2022. "Literature review on the impact of welfare policy design on children and youth," Journal of Economic Surveys, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 809-840, September.
    4. Ferreira,Francisco H. G. & Galasso,Emanuela & Negre,Mario, 2018. "Shared prosperity : concepts, data, and some policy examples," Policy Research Working Paper Series 8451, The World Bank.
    5. Raute, Anna & Weber, Andrea & Zudenkova, Galina, 2022. "Can public policy increase paternity acknowledgement? Evidence from earnings-related parental leave," CEPR Discussion Papers 17073, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Suziedelyte, Agne & Zhu, Anna, 2021. "The intergenerational impact of reduced generosity in the social safety net," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 1-24.
    7. Black, Sandra E. & Liepmann, Hannah & Remigereau, Camille & Spitz-Oener, Alexandra, 2022. "Government aid and child refugees’ economic success later in life: Evidence from post-WWII GDR refugees," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    8. González, Libertad & Trommlerová, Sofia, 2022. "Cash transfers before pregnancy and infant health," Journal of Health Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Hilary W. Hoynes & Jesse Rothstein, 2019. "Universal Basic Income in the US and Advanced Countries," NBER Working Papers 25538, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Hansoo Ko & Renata E. Howland & Sherry A. Glied, 2020. "The Effects of Income on Children’s Health: Evidence from Supplemental Security Income Eligibility under New York State Medicaid," NBER Working Papers 26639, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    11. Cobb-Clark, Deborah A. & Dahmann, Sarah C. & Gielen, Anne C., 2020. "The Intergenerational Effects of Requiring Unemployment Benefit Recipients to Engage in Non-Search Activities," IZA Discussion Papers 13618, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Libertad González & Sofia Trommlerová, 2021. "Prenatal Transfers and Infant Health: Evidence from Spain," Working Papers 1261, Barcelona School of Economics.
    13. Monica E. Ellwood-Lowe & Susan Whitfield-Gabrieli & Silvia A. Bunge, 2021. "Brain network coupling associated with cognitive performance varies as a function of a child’s environment in the ABCD study," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-14, December.
    14. Nina Drange & Kjetil Telle, 2018. "Universal child care and inequality of opportunity. Descriptive findings from Norway," Discussion Papers 880, Statistics Norway, Research Department.
    15. Colleen Heflin & Michah W. Rothbart & Mattie Mackenzie-Liu, 2022. "Below the Tip of the Iceberg: Examining Early Childhood Participation in SNAP and TANF from Birth to Age Six," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(2), pages 729-755, April.
    16. Libertad González Luna & Sofia Trommlerová, 2021. "Prenatal transfers and infant health: Evidence from Spain," Economics Working Papers 1783, Department of Economics and Business, Universitat Pompeu Fabra.
    17. Manuela A. de Paz-Báñez & María José Asensio-Coto & Celia Sánchez-López & María-Teresa Aceytuno, 2020. "Is There Empirical Evidence on How the Implementation of a Universal Basic Income (UBI) Affects Labour Supply? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-36, November.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    safety nets; children; Medicaid; EITC; CTC; SNAP; AFDC/TANF; welfare reform; poverty;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H53 - Public Economics - - National Government Expenditures and Related Policies - - - Government Expenditures and Welfare Programs
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs

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