IRP Discussion Papers

This paper reviews changes in the federal government's approach to antipoverty policy, analyzes the trend in child poverty and the antipoverty impacts of current income maintenance programs, and proposes some additional antipoverty policies. No single program or policy can meet the needs of the diverse poverty population. There is now greater variation in economic status among children and among the elderly--for example when they are classified by sex and race--than there is between age groups. Although poverty among the elderly as a group has decreased and poverty has risen among children, many children are much better off than are some of the elderly. And poverty in the mid-1980s remains very high for many demographic groups. While recently enacted programs such as the Family Support Act of 1988 and the Tax Reform Act of 1986 have brought some relief to children in poor families, much remains to be done. Replacing the personal exemption for children in the federal income tax with a refundable children's credit and making the Dependent Care Credit refundable would provide additional assistance. Child support reform is also needed to aid children in single-parent families. Antipoverty Policies and Child Poverty