RSF author Jane Waldfogel (Columbia University School of Social Work and London School of Economics) recently discussed her book Child Benefits: A Smart Investment for America’s Future on the Institute for Research on Poverty’s IRP Book Talk podcast with podcast host Judith Sears-Poisson.  

Waldfogel began the podcast by defining child benefits as benefits that help with the cost of having children, go to all or nearly all families with children, and are delivered each month. While the United States does not currently have a child benefit program, the current Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) are similar to a child benefit program. However, they are only available once a year and, crucially, are not available to all families with children—the poorest families in America do not receive the CTC because they do not meet the earnings threshold to qualify for the program. She also reviewed how child benefits have evolved over time in other wealthy countries. 

Additionally, Waldfogel discussed the 2021 CTC expansion, which lasted one year. For six months, benefits were delivered monthly, were almost universal, and were much more generous. After the initial six months of the expansion, families received a lump sum for the second six months. Research found that the child poverty rate fell in half during the 2021 CTC expansion, material hardship also decreased, and there is no evidence that the expanded CTC resulted in a reduction in parental employment. In fact, some families increased the amount they worked as the extra money allowed them to afford childcare or other necessities for employment. 

Finally, Waldfogel gives an overview of current proposals for a child benefit program in the U.S. by Democrats and Republicans, including the American Family Act. She concludes by providing her recommendations for a child benefit policy that would deliver the best outcomes for children and families and the best return on investment for the U.S. She states that she believes that the 2021 CTC expansion is a good model and recommends a program that includes all low-income families with children, delivers the benefit monthly, and provides a higher benefit for families with young children than families with older children. 

Jane Waldfogel is the Compton Foundation Centennial Professor for the Prevention of Children's and Youth Problems at the Columbia University School of Social Work and a faculty affiliate at the Center on Poverty and Social Policy. She is also the author of RSF book Britain’s War on Poverty, co-author of RSF book Too Many Children Left Behind, co-editor of RSF volumes Steady Gains and Stalled Progress and Securing the Future, a contributor to multiple RSF volumes and issues of RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, a former RSF visiting scholar, and a recipient of multiple RSF research grants. 

Listen to the podcast here. 

Read more and purchase a copy of the book here.