TY - JOUR
T1 - Safety net investments in children
AU - Hoynes, Hilary W.
AU - Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2018, Brookings Institution Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/3/1
Y1 - 2018/3/1
N2 - 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 they have 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. These trends are 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 improves outcomes for children and society over the long run. This evidence suggests that the recent changes to the social safety net may have lasting negative effects on the poorest children.
AB - 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 they have 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. These trends are 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 improves outcomes for children and society over the long run. This evidence suggests that the recent changes to the social safety net may have lasting negative effects on the poorest children.
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U2 - 10.1353/eca.2018.0001
DO - 10.1353/eca.2018.0001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85062070603
SN - 0007-2303
VL - 2018
SP - 89
EP - 150
JO - Brookings Papers on Economic Activity
JF - Brookings Papers on Economic Activity
IS - Spring
ER -