The Recession's Impact on Child Well-being

A new report, The Effect of Recession on Child Well-being, examines how the recession has impacted children in the four categories of health, food security, housing stability, and maltreatment. Data shows that children have been significantly impacted by the current recession, particularly in the areas of food security and stable housing. The report draws upon lessons learned from prior recessions to inform how we move forward as the economy rebuilds. Two major lessons are that 1) it takes several years post-recession for employment to rebound and families to return to pre-recession income levels, with low-income families generally taking longer to rebound; and 2) public benefits and government-sponsored programs that support children and families are critical to blunting the harsh impacts of a recession. These patterns are again emerging in our current economic state and suggest that community leaders continue to advocate for and create solutions to strengthen and increase access to safety net programs for low-income families.