CCFP researchers study the impact of poverty and economic inequality on children, families, and communities. Our teams study and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and policies designed to help low-income families, the day-to-day experiences of working parents and their families, and the impact of living in poverty on children and families. CCFP researchers also study and evaluate efforts that have been successful at disrupting systemic inequities affecting low-wealth families and building on the strengths of communities to improve outcomes for children and families.
Using data on families who received cash transfers as part of a casino-funded family transfer program introduced in a Southeastern American Indian Tribe in the late 1990s, the authors find that large cash transfers have the potential to reduce intergenerational cycles of poverty-related educational outcomes.
This study uses data from the Baby’s First Years randomized control trial to identify the causal impact of unconditional cash transfers on maternal reports of early childhood development.
This brief summarizes findings from The Baby’s First Years study, examining the design and delivery of the BFY cash gift and how families experience and use the BFY cash gift. The BFY cash gift design provides an example of how cash transfers can be delivered in a way that can center families and entrust them with using the money as they see fit to support their families.
Examination of the impact of the Child Tax Credit on families’ food security by family size and participation in other federal programs. Results suggest that the effectiveness of cash payments like the CTC in reducing economic hardships may depend on family characteristics like receipt of other federal benefits and household size.
Project Description The North Carolina Community Schools Coalition aims to improve the academic, mental, and physical health of North Carolina students through the development of Full-Service Community Schools across the state. Full-Service Community Schools prioritize partnerships between schools and the community to promote the overall success and well-being of children and families. The community schools model…
learn more about Evaluation of NC Community Schools CoalitionThis project aims to advance research on the relationship between economic well-being, wealth, adolescent functioning and mental health.
learn more about STEPS: Study of Teen Experiences that Promote SuccessProject Description Durham Choice is a partnership between the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and the City of Durham to expand affordable housing opportunities in Durham and ensure that low-income residents have the opportunity to live in high quality housing in great neighborhoods. The focus of Durham Choice is on the redevelopment of two aging public…
learn more about Evaluation of Durham Housing Authority Choice Neighborhood GrantProject Description Safety net policies are intended to provide some level of basic income support and economic security to eligible families, in turn improving developmental outcomes and life course trajectories for children. Yet, despite high rates of poverty, Latinx families are less likely than other groups to utilize these benefits. Project Goals The team will…
learn more about How State Social Policies and Practices Impact Hispanic Low-Income Children and YouthThis study uses data from the Baby’s First Years (BFY) randomized trial to examine whether an unconditional cash transfer causes families to make opportunity moves to better quality neighborhoods.
Using data from Baby’s First Years, this paper assesses the causal impact of monthly, unconditional cash transfers on child-directed speech and child vocalizations among a large, racially diverse sample of low-income U.S. mothers and their 1-year-olds.
This brief summarizes findings from The Baby’s First Years study, examining the ways in which a monthly unconditional high-cash gift has been used to support children’s learning and development. Results from the study highlight that such aid resulted in investments in children by increasing parents’ spending on child-specific goods and time spent on early learning activities.
How does unconditional income for families in poverty affect parental investments for their young children? During the first 3 years of this study, high-cash gift households spent more money on child-specific goods and more time on child-specific early learning activities than the low-cash gift group.