PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Marianne P. Bitler
AU  - Annie Laurie Hines
AU  - Marianne Page
TI  - Cash for Kids
AID  - 10.7758/RSF.2018.4.2.03
DP  - 2018 Feb 01
TA  - RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences
PG  - 43--73
VI  - 4
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/4/2/43.short
4100  - http://www.rsfjournal.org/content/4/2/43.full
AB  - Although a growing number of studies suggest that providing poor families with income supplements of as little as $1,000 per year will improve children’s well-being, many poor children miss important sources of income support provided through the tax system because their parents either do not work or do not file taxes. Accessing assistance through means-tested programs is also challenging. We propose replacing the complicated array of benefits provided through the tax system with a universal child benefit of $2,000 per child that would be available regardless of parents’ work status. Our reform would ensure that all children receive enough assistance to make a difference and it would be simpler and more equitable than the current array of child benefits that are provided through the tax code.