We review the literature surrounding the expansion of the Child Tax Credit and its effects on food and financial hardship experienced by households with children. The literature consistently finds receipt of the expanded credit is associated with an increase in food purchases and declines in food insufficiency and food insecurity. The effects of the credit expansion also vary by socioeconomic characteristics. However, there are important differences across studies in effect sizes, indicating the measurement of food hardship, timeframe of analysis, and data source matter in evaluating the effects of the credit expansion.
Research
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