Children’s allowances, a common feature of twentieth century welfare states, are cash grants to families with children. The concept of a government-provided monthly cash benefit to foster income security for all children has never had widespread political appeal. This report traces the history of children’s allowances in other nations to see what can be learned about child support policies.
A subsequent version of this paper was published:
Curley, J., & Sherraden, M. (2000). Policy lessons from children’s allowances for children’s savings accounts. Child Welfare, 79(6), 661–687.
Project: SEED National Initiative
Citation
Curley, J., & Sherraden, M. (1998). The history and status of children’s allowances: Policy background for children’s savings accounts (CSD Policy Report). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development.