The prenatal period plays a critical role in shaping a child’s future development, health, and well-being and is, itself, affected by environmental and contextual inputs, such as income.
This policy brief examines the impact of cash payments delivered during pregnancy through reviewing global research on its effects on birth and longer-term outcomes for children.
Evidence underscores the significance of pregnancy as a critical period where environmental factors can influence children’s short- and long-term well-being. Studies show that cash payments provided during pregnancy, such as nutritional assistance and cash transfers, have causal impacts on outcomes spanning infancy to adulthood. Moreover, while such payments are common in other countries, the United States remains an outlier in the lack of cash support to families during pregnancy.
By investing in families during the critical pregnancy period, policymakers can promote healthier birth outcomes and lay the foundations for long-term benefits for children in terms of their well-being.
To gain deeper insight into the promise of cash payment during pregnancy on child development and well-being, read the full publication here.
“Starting Sooner: Should cash payments begin during pregnancy?“ was published by The Centre on Poverty and Social Policy, Columbia University, and was co-authored by Columbia University, Bernard Collage, the Children’s Research and Education Institute, and the Learning for Well-Being Institute.
