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October 2022Vol. 23, No. 8Casey Family Programs Brief Explores How Economic Supports Improve Family Well-Being

A recent issue brief from Casey Family Programs, How Do Economic Supports Benefit Families and Communities?, explores how economic supports can improve family well-being. Economic supports can allow families to fulfill basic necessities, such as housing, food, and clothing. An increasing number of studies show that improving families’ access to adequate and effective economic supports can prevent family separation, decrease time to permanency, decrease the risk of subsequent abuse or neglect, and enhance child and family well-being. The brief acknowledges that child welfare agencies are not in a position to eradicate poverty but that they can help drive community-based efforts to address families’ basic needs, which can lead to keeping children safe and families together. Some of these efforts may include housing supports, food assistance, financial supports, employment assistance, early care and education services, legal services, and medical and behavioral health care. Improving access to these supports likely requires a coordinated approach from multiple systems as well as partnerships between child welfare agencies and other public and private organizations.

 

For more information, including additional information about the different forms of economic support, go to How Do Economic Supports Benefit Families and Communities?