Family and Child Well-Being System: Economic & Concrete Supports as a Core Component

CLARE ANDERSON, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
YASMIN GREWAL-KÖK, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

This presentation examined the well-established link between economic hardship and child welfare involvement—especially neglect—and provided an overview of the research on the relationship between economic and concrete supports (including minimum wage, Medicaid, housing, child care, child support payments, TANF, SNAP, and EITC) and reduced child maltreatment and child welfare involvement. It explored why this growing body of research warrants elevating economic and concrete supports as a critical strategy to promote child and family well-being and race equity. It also presented opportunities to better align social services across systems and develop a multidimensional approach to supporting families that is centered around prevention.