Randomized trial finds monthly cash transfers do not alter primary parenting behaviors in low-income families, suggesting financial aid alone may not transform parent-child dynamics.
Key Points
To determine whether providing monthly unconditional cash transfers to low-income mothers improves parenting behaviors and parent-child interactions when their children reach age four.
Randomized controlled trial (Baby's First Years study) assigning low-income mothers to receive either a monthly high-cash gift ($333) or low-cash gift ($20) for the first 76 months of the child's life.
Assessed intent-to-treat (ITT) effects in 886 mothers on pre-registered outcomes at child age 4, including video-recorded parent-child play interactions, reported routines, time spent on joint activities, and child-specific spending.
Pre-registered parenting outcomes showed no statistically significant differences between mothers receiving the high-cash gift ($333/month) and those receiving the low-cash gift ($20/month).
Exploratory analyses indicated children in the high-cash arm were more likely to maintain regular sleep routines, have higher expenditures on toys, and have lower expenditures on electronics compared to the low-cash arm.