Engagement in extracurricular activities increases students’ behavioral and cognitive skills yet despite their ability to help improve academic performance, students from low-income communities are at least 10 percent less likely to participate. Addressing this disparity is vital to maximizing educational outcomes.
The United States is unique among developed nations for its high rate of child poverty and currently use of a patchwork system of tax subsidies to help cover the costs of childcare that excludes low-income and irregularly employed families. Converting this system into a universal child allowance similar to those that exist in other developed countries would significantly reduce childhood poverty and increase the capacity of all families to invest in the wellbeing of their children.
With the Trump administration bringing block grants back into fashion, it is vital that policymakers understand how these programs have worked in practice to reduce funding for programs for the economically vulnerable.