Welfare and the Well-being of Children (Fundamentals of Pure & Applied Economics) Book

This book represents the first systematic evaluation of the evidence regarding the effects of welfare programs on the children themselves. In-kind programs such as Medicaid and Head Start have a larger effect on measures of child well-being than cash transfer programs such as AFDC. This suggests an economic rationale for the recent trend towards providing a larger proportion of assistance in-kind.Welfare and the Well-Being of Children provides an analysis of eight of the largest U.S. welfare programs affecting children. These programs include Aid to Families with Dependent Children, the Food Stamp Program, Medicaid, housing assistance, supplemental feeding programs such as WIC and School Lunch, Head Start and the Earned Income Tax Credit. Despite the fact that these programs were designed to serve children, most discussions of welfare reforms focus on the incentives that the welfare system creates for parents.Read More