Less is more? The value of home visiting in a cash-assistance world

Session Type: Conversation Roundtable

Abstract

Research highlights the potential benefits of poverty reduction programs to child development, both in the US and internationally. Most recently, the Baby’s First Years Study has suggested possible changes in infant brain development in response to relatively modest cash assistance benefits to families. Federal assistance programs during COVID also accelerated discussion of how providing direct financial support to families can promote child health, development and well-being. This raises important questions of where such programming fits in with more time- and resource-intensive early childhood development initiatives, especially those targeting low-resource families. Home visiting is a prime example of this. Home visiting programs in the US are often long-term, lasting multiple years and focus on different aspects of child development and well-being. Although results from rigorous outcome evaluations are generally positive, they are also modest and inconsistent. Cost-benefit analyses of some home visiting models show that these investments are not misplaced over the long term; however, given the significant resources placed into these programs in terms of time, money, and labor, how should we view their role in promoting child development and well-being? This roundtable will explore these issues around home visiting design and competing models of support, debating the extent to which home visiting programs need to rethink how they are providing services, where they can fit in terms of supporting parents in the context of financial assistance programming, and how research and evaluation efforts can support these decisions.
Moderator: Jon Korfmacher
Panelists: Deborah Daro, Jill Filene, Grace Atukpawu-Tipton, Brenda Jones-Harden,

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Moderator

• Jon Korfmacher, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

Panelists

• Deborah Daro, Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

• Jill Filene, James Bell Associates

• Grace Tipton, James Bell Associates

• Brenda Jones Harden, Columbia University