PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Guldi, Melanie
AU  - Hawkins, Amelia
AU  - Hemmeter, Jeffrey
AU  - Schmidt, Lucie
TI  - Supplemental Security Income for Children, Maternal Labor Supply, and Family Well-Being: Evidence from Birth Weight Eligibility Cutoffs
AID  - 10.3368/jhr.0818-9654R2
DP  - 2022 Mar 09
TA  - Journal of Human Resources
PG  - 0818-9654R2
4099  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2022/03/01/jhr.0818-9654R2.short
4100  - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/early/2022/03/01/jhr.0818-9654R2.full
AB  - Children born into poverty face substantial disadvantages; however, family processes have been shown to be a mediating factor. Using a discontinuity in infant eligibility for Supplemental Security Income at 1200 grams birth weight, we examine effects of SSI on parental labor supply, family processes, and child outcomes. We find that eligibility increases SSI participation and reduces maternal labor supply on the intensive margin, suggesting SSI income may crowd out parental earnings, but only in the short-run. We find no effect on maternal depression or child outcomes, but SSI eligibility improves parenting behaviors, indicating SSI can operate via family processes.