Cash Transfers And Child Health In The US: What Is Known And What Questions Remain

Stoneleigh Fellow Meredith Matone co-authors a research brief on on the relationship between cash transfers and child health in the U.S.

Cash transfer programs, which give money directly to individuals or families, are intuitively appealing as a means to improve economic security. They are relatively simple to design and administer, and they prioritize families’ autonomy and agency. This makes them a promising policy intervention, particularly when implemented in conjunction with other evidence-based economic support programs.

Although cash transfers are primarily a tool to improve economic security, many policy makers have also looked to these programs as a strategy for improving health in general, and children’s health in particular. Several recent studies examined relationships between cash transfer programs and child health in the United States, with mixed results. Unfortunately, much of the nuance around what these studies can and cannot tell us has been lost in sweeping news headlines.

View the full brief