Supporting children and families through the pandemic, and after: The case for a US child allowance

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a contraction in economic activity that is unprecedented in both its nature and speed. In doing so, it has exposed who is protected and supported by modern welfare states, and who is not. While the US has a relatively robust set of social insurance and assistance programs for older Americans and working-age Americans who become unemployed or disabled, it lacks – in contrast to many other wealthy nations – a comparably strong universal or wide-reaching mechanism to support families with children. The US emergency relief packages enacted to date will undoubtedly mitigate the economic effects of the current crisis for many families, but because this legislation relies on the existing social policy infrastructure, its intended cash relief reinforces current inequalities and underserves families with children, with a particular impact on immigrant families and families of color. To protect all families with children through the immediate crisis and beyond, existing gaps and inequities in the US social safety net must be addressed. The creation of a national US child allowance offers a concrete and evidence-based way in which to do so. This analysis outlines key shortcomings in the existing system of US public support for families with children, the ways in which these shortcomings have been exacerbated in the COVID-19 economic response package to date, and how a national child allowance can provide the immediate relief families need during the pandemic and the unfolding economic downturn, as well as lay the foundation for positive health and development for all children in the years to follow.