Helping America's Most Vulnerable Children and Parents

Abstract

This article examines the question of how governments should allocate resources designed to promote children’s wellbeing. Most government policies focus on three goals: protecting children’s basic physical safety and mental health, helping children acquire the academic skills needed for economic success in adulthood, and increasing equal opportunity for economic and social mobility. In trying to achieve these outcomes, policymakers must decide how to allocate resources among programs that focus primarily on the child, such as preschool and K-12 education; programs seeking to improve parenting, such as home visiting; and programs that provide economic resources, such as cash and subsidies, to families. Over the past 40 years, most investments have focused on enhancing the likelihood of economic success and closing the opportunity gap rather than on protecting children’s safety and mental health. To this end, most resources are invested in child-focused services, not parenting. Unfortunately, this strategy leaves at least 20% of children at substantial risk in terms of safety and mental health. New strategies and greater investments are needed to help children in families facing multiple adversities. The article identifies some of the issues that must be addressed in designing a system of services for strengthening parents facing multiple adversities and proposes several directions for change.