Family Support Financial Pilot Update
Children’s Trust Announces Results from Commonwealth’s First Family Financial Support Program Targeted at Reducing Child Abuse and Neglect
Program participants reported lower stress and stayed engaged in supportive home visiting longer than their peers.
Originally published by State House News on 2/17.
BOSTON, MA – Utilizing funding through the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the Children’s Trust conducted its Family Financial Pilot, which provided cash assistance to parents enrolled in the Children’s Trust’s Healthy Families Massachusetts (MA) program in Springfield. This pilot determined how unrestricted cash grant programs could positively impact family structures, reduce child abuse and neglect, and build economic supports for families most in need.
The Healthy Families program in Springfield is administered through SquareOne, a family center that provides family support and education programs. Healthy Families Massachusetts, part of the Children’s Trust’s network of programs, connects parents to a home visitor during pregnancy and the first three years of the child’s life.
“We know that investing in families through comprehensive support systems can create meaningful, positive changes in families’ lives. The goal of this pilot program was to help families reduce financial stress and create safer and more nurturing environments for children. Economic stress is a root cause of child abuse and neglect, so by addressing financial hardship, we can reduce child welfare involvement and strengthen families.”
Jennifer Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Children’s Trust
The pilot provided more than $1.2 million to 132 families in the Springfield-based program, with participating families receiving $500 per month for 18 months. Prenatal participants (18 in total) received $100 per month until the child’s birth and then received $500 per month. Accelerated payments ($550, $650, $750) were provided to participants in the final three months of the pilot to ease transition.
Program participants reported that they experienced reduced stress and improved mood. Approximately 50% of participants reported that their overall financial situation improved and 41% reported a reduction in their difficulty affording what they needed each month. The top five ways that funds were spent each month were:
- Groceries or food to make at home
- Basic household or personal hygiene items
- Clothing
- Utilities/bills
- Transportation
Participants enrolled in the pilot program stayed engaged with Healthy Families MA an average of 7 months longer than their peers. This is significant because previous studies tell us that longevity in Healthy Families MA is tied to positive long-term outcomes such as:
- Lower maternal depression
- Higher housing stability
- Reduced child welfare involvement
- Improved child development and social-emotional screening results
Because Healthy Families MA program participants meet with home visitors regularly, this first-of-its-kind financial assistance program was unique in its built-in case management component as well as access to referrals for other basic family needs.
Children with low socioeconomic status are seven times more likely to experience neglect and five times more likely to experience maltreatment. Approximately 90% percent of families enrolled in Healthy Families Massachusetts are eligible for public health insurance programs indicating that the majority of families in the program experience low socioeconomic status. Financial hardships disproportionately affect families of color, which contributes to disparities in child welfare involvement.
Research from Chapin Hall, an independent, nonpartisan policy research center, demonstrates that low-income families who experience at least one material hardship are three times more likely to be involved in a neglect investigation and four times more likely to be involved in a child abuse investigation. Provision of economic and concrete supports is associated with reduced risk for both neglect and physical abuse.
“Preventing child abuse and neglect is complex, but the evidence is clear: when we support families and address root causes of child abuse and neglect, like economic insecurity and mental health, children benefit.”
Jennifer Valenzuela, Executive Director of the Children’s Trust