Research suggests that a child’s first year is a critical window for brain development. A study published in 2022 on the effects of cash support on low-income families found that when parents received $333 a month, the babies’ brains showed brain activity that is associated with higher cognitive development.
Studies have also shown that boosting financial assistance for families can reduce child poverty, cut gender pay inequity and lower infant mortality rates.
“Kids learn the most they’ll ever learn in their lives in those first few years,” said Anne Hedgepeth, chief of policy at research agency Child Care Aware of America. “It pays off in the long run.”
