Greetings—
Each year, the federal government invests over $500 billion in children through programs and tax provisions across the domains of health, education, child care, income, nutrition, and housing. In a new brief, Urban Institute researchers introduce these federal investments and explore how investing in one domain can positively impact others in the short and long term.
Public programs that invest in children generally have a positive return on investment for society, and some also eventually pay for their cost—and more—to government through increased tax revenues and decreased spending on criminal justice and public assistance programs for adults. Specifically, the researchers find:
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Child poverty is costly to the US, just as it is to affected individuals, and costs the US between $500 billion and $1.03 trillion annually.
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Improvements in education and the associated increases in earnings boost tax revenue and save money for the government by lowering spending on the criminal justice system and social service programs for adults.
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For each dollar invested in children’s health, the government receives a $1.78 return, which includes savings from reduced hospitalizations and emergency visits and future increases in tax revenue.
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Nutrition programs reduce the need for public expenditures on social service programs in adulthood and boost the economy through increased spending on food production, transportation, and marketing.
In a corresponding infographic, the research team visualizes how public investments in children create both short- and long-term benefits for children and outlines long-term benefits to society. Visit the webpage to download the infographic. I hope you find it helpful.
Please email me if you have any questions or would like to speak with the research team.
Sincerely,
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Urban Institute is a nonprofit research organization that believes in the power of evidence to improve people’s lives. Urban as an organization does not take policy positions but Urban’s independent experts are empowered to make recommendations based on their research.
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