How cash gifts to families affect young children's development
Official title: Household Income and Child Development in the First Years of Life
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11382920 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Giving monthly cash payments to low-income families with newborns may help children grow up healthier and do better in school.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2017 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,202,448 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD087384-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382920 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are low-income families with newborns who are willing to participate in annual follow-ups through age 6, and potentially beyond.
✕Less likely to help
Families not able to commit to long-term follow-up or who prefer not to participate in periodic data collection may not benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project follows families with newborns in low-income households to see if regular cash gifts for the first six years of life improve child development and school readiness. Families are randomly assigned to receive either a high cash gift or a smaller one and are followed up every year, with two additional lab-based data collection waves at ages 6 and 8. Researchers will measure cognitive, self-regulation, and socio-emotional development, as well as academic skills, to understand long-term effects of poverty reduction. The study builds on previous work and aims to provide evidence on whether ongoing financial support during early childhood can change life trajectories.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could inform policy on cash-support programs that help children reach their educational and health milestones.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research suggests that early financial support can influence child outcomes, with this study extending to six years and additional lab-based assessments for more robust findings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Duncan, Greg John — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Duncan, Greg John
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.