Working Paper: NBER ID: w24594
Authors: Hilary W. Hoynes; Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach
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.
Keywords: No keywords provided
JEL Codes: H53; I38
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Changes to the social safety net (I38) | lasting negative impacts on the poorest children (I32) |
| Government spending on children (H52) | distribution of benefits favoring families with earnings (J31) |
| Welfare reform and expansion of in-work tax credits (I38) | Government spending on children (H52) |
| Improved maternal health (I14) | health outcomes in children (I14) |
| Increased family income due to program participation (I24) | health outcomes in children (I14) |
| Access to safety net programs during childhood (I38) | long-term benefits for children (J13) |
| Access to safety net programs during childhood (I38) | long-term benefits for society (H43) |
| Safety net programs like SNAP and EITC (H53) | health outcomes (reduced rates of low birth weight) (I14) |
| Safety net programs like SNAP and EITC (H53) | improved self-reported health in adolescence (I12) |
| Early access to safety net programs (I38) | better health outcomes in adulthood (I14) |
| Early access to safety net programs (I38) | better economic outcomes in adulthood (J13) |