Child Allowances and Work-Family Reconciliation Policies: What Best Reduces Child Poverty and Gender Inequality While Enabling Desired Fertility?

Jennifer Glass () and Carolyn E. Waldrep
Additional contact information
Jennifer Glass: University of Texas
Carolyn E. Waldrep: University of Texas

Population Research and Policy Review, 2023, vol. 42, issue 5, No 9, 57 pages

Abstract: Abstract Recent legislative proposals in the United States to either institute a child allowance for all families or continue a temporary Covid-related child tax credit similar to an allowance have reignited a debate about family allowances, and whether direct monetary subsidies to families with minor children have unintended consequences for gender inequality and mothers’ labor market success. Advocates for work-family reconciliation policies argue that policies providing paid time off and flexibility in work hours and schedule should enable women to assume financial responsibility for their children and, thus, increase intended fertility without diminishing the quality of care provided to children, while encouraging men to participate more in the domestic sphere. We summarize the limited but growing evidentiary basis for both policy viewpoints, reviewing hundreds of studies on policy implementation and outcomes across rich industrialized countries, comparing the results in terms of their effects on child poverty, gender inequality, and intended fertility.

Keywords: Child poverty; Fertility; Women’s labor force participation; Family policy; Child allowances (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11113-023-09823-w Abstract (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:kap:poprpr:v:42:y:2023:i:5:d:10.1007_s11113-023-09823-w

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... es/journal/11113/PS2

DOI: 10.1007/s11113-023-09823-w

Access Statistics for this article

Population Research and Policy Review is currently edited by D.A. Swanson

More articles in Population Research and Policy Review from Springer, Southern Demographic Association (SDA)
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().