Unconditional child support grant and outcomes on children: Experience from Thailand

Unconditional cash transfer emerges as a key instrument for reducing child poverty and promoting human capital development. However, limited evidence exists on the association with early childhood development outcomes in middle-income countries, particularly regarding unintended effects on household resource allocation and children's technology exposure.

This study examines the associations between Thailand's unconditional Child Support Grant (CSG), early childhood development, access to educational materials, and electronic device usage.

We analyze nationally representative data from the 2019 and 2022 Thailand Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). We employ propensity score matching with nearest neighbor matching to balance observed covariates between CSG recipients and non-recipients. Outcomes include child development, number of children's books, children's engagement with different types of toys, electronic device access, and daily screen time.

Children in households receiving the CSG demonstrate modest but statistically significant improvements in early childhood development. CSG receipt is associated with a 1.71 percentage point increase in developmental outcome, representing approximately 2% improvement relative to non-recipients. However, the analysis uncovers unexpected resource allocation patterns: recipient households possess significantly fewer children's books, although children show increased engagement with homemade toys. In addition, CSG receipt is associated with greater access to electronic devices and longer screen time among children.

Thailand's unconditional cash transfer program successfully enhances child developmental outcomes. However, the findings also reveal complex household behavioral responses that suggest a need for complementary interventions, particularly to promote access to educational materials and provide guidance on appropriate electronic device use. The study offers important implications for policymakers seeking to maximize the developmental benefit of child-focused cash transfer programs in middle-income settings.