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Medium-Term Impacts of Integrated Social Safety Nets: Cash Transfers, Information Meetings, and Home Visits for Child Development

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Listed:
  • Richard Akresh
  • Damien de Walque
  • Harounan Kazianga
  • Abigail Stocker

Abstract

Cash transfers are a critical part of social safety nets. However, integrated programs combining cash and parenting interventions through either group-based information meetings or home visits are recently being adopted to improve child development. Working with the Burkina Faso government, we conduct a randomized experiment in 225 rural villages to assess the impact of an integrated social safety net over the child’s life cycle. Villages were randomized to a control group or one of the following treatments: cash transfers; cash transfers plus government-run group-based information meetings focused on children’s health and psychosocial development; or cash transfers, information, and home visits reinforcing the information meetings. Fifteen months after treatment ended, households receiving cash, information, and home visits have fewer pregnancies, more medically assisted childbirths, enhanced health behaviors, and better educational outcomes. Adding home visits is essential for improving childhood development, while cash, with or without information, produces no lasting impacts.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Akresh & Damien de Walque & Harounan Kazianga & Abigail Stocker, 2025. "Medium-Term Impacts of Integrated Social Safety Nets: Cash Transfers, Information Meetings, and Home Visits for Child Development," NBER Working Papers 34578, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:34578
    Note: CH DEV
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    JEL classification:

    • I12 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health Behavior
    • I38 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - Government Programs; Provision and Effects of Welfare Programs
    • J13 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Fertility; Family Planning; Child Care; Children; Youth
    • O12 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Microeconomic Analyses of Economic Development

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