Together First Focus, the Foundation for Child Development, and PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have released two new policy briefs that examine the effects of the recession on children and families.
The Effect of Recession on Child Well-Being examines the relationship between economic recession and four domains of child well-being: health, food security, housing stability, and maltreatment. Review of evidence from previous recessions revealed two primary patterns: 1) that it takes several years after a recession ends for employment to rebound and for families to return to pre-recession income levels, and 2) that public benefits and government programs supporting children and families are critical to mollify the consequences of recession.
The Recession and Housing Stability emphasizes the impact of recession on housing stability. Research suggests that inadequate or insecure housing has an unfavorable effect on child well-being. The report presents lessons learned from past recessions and discusses the current recession, including the present affordability of housing, the foreclosure crisis, and homelessness rates. It also finds that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) has helped support families and mitigated additional housing problems; however, continued federal funds for emergency housing and foreclosure prevention may be not enough to protect low-income families from housing instability or homelessness.
