Safety Net Investments in Children / Hilary W. Hoynes, Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hoynes, Hilary W.

Contributor:

National Bureau of Economic Research.

Schanzenbach, Diane Whitmore.

Series:

Working Paper Series (National Bureau of Economic Research) no. w24594.

NBER working paper series no. w24594

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource: illustrations (black and white);

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, Mass. National Bureau of Economic Research 2018.

Summary:

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.

Notes:

Print version record

May 2018.