Safety Net Investments in Children

Hilary Hoynes and Diane Schanzenbach

No 24594, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

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.

JEL-codes: H53 I38 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018-05
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-hea
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (19)

Published as Hilary W. Hoynes & Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach, 2018. "Safety Net Investments in Children," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, vol 2018(1), pages 89-150.

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Journal Article: Safety Nets Investments in Children (2018)
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