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Programs that mitigate the effects of poverty on children
B L Devaney1, M R Ellwood, J M Love
1Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Princeton, NJ, USA.
The Future of Children
|July 1, 1997
Summary
Federally funded assistance programs effectively provide essential needs like food, healthcare, and housing to low-income children. While improvements are possible, these programs successfully meet their core objectives for child well-being.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Policy
- Child Development
Background:
- Poverty significantly impacts children's access to basic necessities.
- In-kind public assistance programs aim to alleviate these effects.
- Six key federal programs are examined for their effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the effectiveness of six federally funded in-kind assistance programs for low-income children.
- To assess the impact of these programs on food security, health, education, and housing.
- To identify gaps in knowledge regarding long-term outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of existing evidence on federal assistance programs.
- Analysis of program objectives and reported outcomes.
- Synthesis of findings on food assistance, healthcare, education, and housing programs.
Main Results:
- Food programs (Food Stamps, WIC, school nutrition) are generally successful in providing food assistance and improving nutrient intake.
- Medicaid has increased health insurance coverage for children but disparities in access to care persist.
- Head Start shows short-term cognitive and developmental benefits, with inconclusive long-term effects.
- Housing assistance improves housing quality but fails to meet the large unmet need.
Conclusions:
- Federal in-kind assistance programs largely achieve their primary goals for low-income children.
- Significant unmet needs and knowledge gaps remain, particularly concerning long-term health and developmental impacts.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the sustained effects of these vital programs.