Megan A. Curran is a seasoned social researcher with a particular focus on policy strategies for reducing child and family poverty. She has worked as an legislative analyst, policy advocate, lecturer, and researcher in the United States, United Kingdom, and Ireland.
The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a contraction in economic activity that is unprecedented in both its nature and speed. In doing so, it has exposed who is protected and supported by modern welfare states, and who is not. While the US has a relatively robust set of social insurance and assistance programs for older Americans and working-age Americans who become unemployed or disabled, it lacks-in contrast to many other wealthy nations-a comparably strong universal or wide-reaching mechanism to support families with children. The US emergency relief packages enacted to date will undoubtedly mitigate the economic effects of the current crisis for many families, but because this legislation relies on the existing social policy infrastructure, its intended cash relief reinforces current inequalities and underserves families with children, with a particular impact on immigrant families and families of color. To protect all families with children through the immediate crisis and beyond, existing gaps and inequities in the US social safety net must be addressed. The creation of a national US child allowance offers a concrete and evidence-based way in which to do so. This analysis outlines key shortcomings in the existing system of US public support for families with children, the ways in which these shortcomings have been exacerbated in the COVID-19 economic response package to date, and how a national child allowance can provide the immediate relief families need during the pandemic and the unfolding economic downturn, as well as lay the foundation for positive health and development for all children in the years to follow.
Dr. Sarah Morton, University College Dublin and Dr. Megan Curran, University College Dublin
http:... more Dr. Sarah Morton, University College Dublin and Dr. Megan Curran, University College Dublin http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11213
“Better Boards, Better Business, Better Society”, is a National Women’s Council of Ireland handbo... more “Better Boards, Better Business, Better Society”, is a National Women’s Council of Ireland handbook on how to increase the number of women on boards in Ireland. The recommendations target key audiences with the capacity to bring about change: government, board members, industry, management, executive search companies, and investors. The report makes specific recommendations across four key areas to increase board diversity in Ireland, and features testimonials from five women sharing their experiences on a variety of different Irish boards.
The United States is also an outlier among high-income nations in terms of public investment in c... more The United States is also an outlier among high-income nations in terms of public investment in children. This is so, even when compared only with those with which it has the most in common in terms of welfare state structure and politics—Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, those countries offer a national child allowance (or child benefit) cash transfer to support families with the cost of raising children; the United States does not. Not only does the United States lack a dedicated child allowance, but overall federal spending on children’s social programs is in decline and significant disparities in program eligibility, access, and child outcomes exist across states. A U.S. national child allowance can support parents and reduce poverty, while countering current underinvestment trends and regional disparities in child outcomes. This proposal draws upon international evidence to identify a set of key characteristics common to successful child allowance policies—and of most relevance to the American policy context—to develop a set of options for creating and administering a national child allowance in the United States.
The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve child poverty in a decade and eradicate it ‘within a generation.’ The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward.
Public policy requires accountability. Indicators and indices, such as the Child and Youth Well-B... more Public policy requires accountability. Indicators and indices, such as the Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI), can be useful tools for policymakers, advocates, and the public. These measures also contribute to the future of evidence-based decision-making. This chapter frames the connections between policy and child well-being by answering the following questions: What are the central public policies impacting children and youth in the United States? How do these policies relate to child well-being? To what extent do indicators -- and the CWI in particular -- capture the impact of policy decisions on various levels of government? And finally, can an index, such as the CWI, itself be a tool for policy change?
The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a contraction in economic activity that is unprecedented in both its nature and speed. In doing so, it has exposed who is protected and supported by modern welfare states, and who is not. While the US has a relatively robust set of social insurance and assistance programs for older Americans and working-age Americans who become unemployed or disabled, it lacks-in contrast to many other wealthy nations-a comparably strong universal or wide-reaching mechanism to support families with children. The US emergency relief packages enacted to date will undoubtedly mitigate the economic effects of the current crisis for many families, but because this legislation relies on the existing social policy infrastructure, its intended cash relief reinforces current inequalities and underserves families with children, with a particular impact on immigrant families and families of color. To protect all families with children through the immediate crisis and beyond, existing gaps and inequities in the US social safety net must be addressed. The creation of a national US child allowance offers a concrete and evidence-based way in which to do so. This analysis outlines key shortcomings in the existing system of US public support for families with children, the ways in which these shortcomings have been exacerbated in the COVID-19 economic response package to date, and how a national child allowance can provide the immediate relief families need during the pandemic and the unfolding economic downturn, as well as lay the foundation for positive health and development for all children in the years to follow.
Dr. Sarah Morton, University College Dublin and Dr. Megan Curran, University College Dublin
http:... more Dr. Sarah Morton, University College Dublin and Dr. Megan Curran, University College Dublin http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11213
“Better Boards, Better Business, Better Society”, is a National Women’s Council of Ireland handbo... more “Better Boards, Better Business, Better Society”, is a National Women’s Council of Ireland handbook on how to increase the number of women on boards in Ireland. The recommendations target key audiences with the capacity to bring about change: government, board members, industry, management, executive search companies, and investors. The report makes specific recommendations across four key areas to increase board diversity in Ireland, and features testimonials from five women sharing their experiences on a variety of different Irish boards.
The United States is also an outlier among high-income nations in terms of public investment in c... more The United States is also an outlier among high-income nations in terms of public investment in children. This is so, even when compared only with those with which it has the most in common in terms of welfare state structure and politics—Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. Specifically, those countries offer a national child allowance (or child benefit) cash transfer to support families with the cost of raising children; the United States does not. Not only does the United States lack a dedicated child allowance, but overall federal spending on children’s social programs is in decline and significant disparities in program eligibility, access, and child outcomes exist across states. A U.S. national child allowance can support parents and reduce poverty, while countering current underinvestment trends and regional disparities in child outcomes. This proposal draws upon international evidence to identify a set of key characteristics common to successful child allowance policies—and of most relevance to the American policy context—to develop a set of options for creating and administering a national child allowance in the United States.
The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve child poverty in a decade and eradicate it ‘within a generation.’ The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward.
Public policy requires accountability. Indicators and indices, such as the Child and Youth Well-B... more Public policy requires accountability. Indicators and indices, such as the Child and Youth Well-Being Index (CWI), can be useful tools for policymakers, advocates, and the public. These measures also contribute to the future of evidence-based decision-making. This chapter frames the connections between policy and child well-being by answering the following questions: What are the central public policies impacting children and youth in the United States? How do these policies relate to child well-being? To what extent do indicators -- and the CWI in particular -- capture the impact of policy decisions on various levels of government? And finally, can an index, such as the CWI, itself be a tool for policy change?
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The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a contraction in economic activity that is unprecedented in both its nature and speed. In doing so, it has exposed who is protected and supported by modern welfare states, and who is not. While the US has a relatively robust set of social insurance and assistance programs for older Americans and working-age Americans who become unemployed or disabled, it lacks-in contrast to many other wealthy nations-a comparably strong universal or wide-reaching mechanism to support families with children. The US emergency relief packages enacted to date will undoubtedly mitigate the economic effects of the current crisis for many families, but because this legislation relies on the existing social policy infrastructure, its intended cash relief reinforces current inequalities and underserves families with children, with a particular impact on immigrant families and families of color. To protect all families with children through the immediate crisis and beyond, existing gaps and inequities in the US social safety net must be addressed. The creation of a national US child allowance offers a concrete and evidence-based way in which to do so. This analysis outlines key shortcomings in the existing system of US public support for families with children, the ways in which these shortcomings have been exacerbated in the COVID-19 economic response package to date, and how a national child allowance can provide the immediate relief families need during the pandemic and the unfolding economic downturn, as well as lay the foundation for positive health and development for all children in the years to follow.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5743308460b5e922a25a6dc7/t/5e605fe34cbc0979d6dd5ac8/1583374310078/Child-Tax-Credit-Larger-Families-CPSP-2020.pdf
https://cpag.org.uk/policy-and-campaigns/briefing/child-centred-reform-childrens-social-security
http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11213
See more at: http://www.nwci.ie/index.php?/learn/publication/better_boards_better_business_better_society
The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected
decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve
child poverty in a decade and eradicate it ‘within a generation.’ The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child
care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward.
The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a contraction in economic activity that is unprecedented in both its nature and speed. In doing so, it has exposed who is protected and supported by modern welfare states, and who is not. While the US has a relatively robust set of social insurance and assistance programs for older Americans and working-age Americans who become unemployed or disabled, it lacks-in contrast to many other wealthy nations-a comparably strong universal or wide-reaching mechanism to support families with children. The US emergency relief packages enacted to date will undoubtedly mitigate the economic effects of the current crisis for many families, but because this legislation relies on the existing social policy infrastructure, its intended cash relief reinforces current inequalities and underserves families with children, with a particular impact on immigrant families and families of color. To protect all families with children through the immediate crisis and beyond, existing gaps and inequities in the US social safety net must be addressed. The creation of a national US child allowance offers a concrete and evidence-based way in which to do so. This analysis outlines key shortcomings in the existing system of US public support for families with children, the ways in which these shortcomings have been exacerbated in the COVID-19 economic response package to date, and how a national child allowance can provide the immediate relief families need during the pandemic and the unfolding economic downturn, as well as lay the foundation for positive health and development for all children in the years to follow.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5743308460b5e922a25a6dc7/t/5e605fe34cbc0979d6dd5ac8/1583374310078/Child-Tax-Credit-Larger-Families-CPSP-2020.pdf
https://cpag.org.uk/policy-and-campaigns/briefing/child-centred-reform-childrens-social-security
http://hdl.handle.net/10197/11213
See more at: http://www.nwci.ie/index.php?/learn/publication/better_boards_better_business_better_society
The United States has long struggled with high levels of child poverty. In 2014, 2 of 5 (42.9%) of all American children lived in economically insecure households and just over 1 in 5 children lived below the official absolute poverty line. These rates are high, but not intractable. Evidence from the US Census Bureau’s Supplemental Poverty Measure, among other sources, shows the effect that public investments in cash and noncash transfers can have in reducing child poverty and improving child well-being. However, with significant disparities in services and supports for children across states and the projected
decline of current federal spending on children, the United States is an international outlier in terms of public investments in children, particularly compared with other high-income nations. One such country, the United Kingdom (UK), faced similar child poverty challenges in recent decades. At the end of the 20th century, the British Prime Minister pledged to halve
child poverty in a decade and eradicate it ‘within a generation.’ The Labour Government then set targets and dedicated resources in the form of income supplements, employment, child
care, and education support. Child poverty levels nearly halved against an absolute measure by the end of the first decade. Subsequent changes in government and the economy slowed progress and have resulted in a very different approach. However, the UK child poverty target experience, 15 years in and spanning multiple changes in government, still offers a useful comparative example for US social policy moving forward.