The U.S. safety net has changed substantially in the past two
decades. The role of direct cash assistance has diminished, while
the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has expanded. Traditional
forms of non-cash assistance such as Food Stamps, WIC, and Head
Start comprise a larger share of the safety net than ever before.
See below for more information on research projects and other
resources related to this topic.
The U.S. safety net has changed substantially in the past two
decades. The role of direct cash assistance has diminished, while
the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) has expanded. Traditional
forms of non-cash assistance such as Food Stamps, WIC, and Head
Start comprise a larger share of the safety net than ever before.
Our Research Affiliates are finding that many non-cash programs
make a substantive difference in families’ well-being, even if
these programs do not increase families’ cash income. Affiliates
also actively pursue research agendas that embrace a broader set
of programs that assist low income groups such as education and
health care programs. Many of these programs have not
traditionally been considered part of the safety net but play a
crucial role affecting poor families’ well-being.
Although a growing number of studies suggest that providing poor
families with income supplements of as little as $1,000 per
year will improve children’s well-being, many poor children
miss important sources of income support provided through the tax
system because their parents either do not work or do not
file taxes. Accessing assistance through means-tested programs is
also challenging.
In this paper Constance Lindsay and Cassandra Hart
find consistent evidence that exposure to same-race teachers
is associated with reduced rates of exclusionary discipline for
Black students.
Summary:
This paper estimates the earnings returns to vocational, or
career technical, education programs in the nation’s largest
community college system.
These briefs are short and informative analyses of our research
relating to poverty policies. Policy Briefs deliver our
cutting-edge research directly to policy makers, researchers, and
stakeholders in an accessible format.
Programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provide access to vital medical and nutrition services. In a recent study, we investigated whether demographic, social, and economic determinants of health, including length of time spent on these programs, were associated with diet quality and weight status in early childhood.
In a recent study, we examined the extent to which foods and beverages available in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Food Package help to improve the quality of young children’s diets.
To do so, we used diet quality from Healthy Eating Index-2020 scores in conjunction with data related to WIC participation among children aged 2 to 5.
We found that children with high WIC duration had higher total HEI-2020 scores compared with children with low WIC duration.
In recent years, cash-assistance programs have been piloted across the United States, typically as Guaranteed Income (GI). In a recent study, we explored how these programs are being designed and evaluated. Reviewing 105 programs covering over 40,000 beneficiaries, we compared eligibility criteria, funding sources, distribution amounts, program administration, pilot duration, and evaluation measures.
Center podcasts are a great way to keep up with today’s poverty
research and public policy. We record most of our conference
presentations and talks by our seminar speakers. We also produce
exclusive content, such as our Poverty in Focus series, as well
as expert discussions on research.
In this podcast, David Figlio and Michal Kurlaender discuss how
inequality before a child is even born can compound across a
lifetime, and the difference high-quality schools can make for
low-income children.
In this podcast, Peter Bergman and Cassandra M.D.
Hart discuss how access to timely,
actionable information about how students are performing in
school can help parents keep their kids on track.
In this presentation, Jeffrey Clemens discusses his work on how
the Great Recession affected employment and income for
low-skilled workers. Clemens is an assistant professor in
the Department of Economics at UC San Diego.
We have gathered policy briefs, podcasts, articles and research
studies related to our conference on college for low-income
students. Learn more here about the difference college makes.
