Basic income program in Illinois aims to reduce child abuse and neglect

Researchers hope that increasing parents' income through a basic income can prevent abuse. Basic income studies and pilot projects have already shown that cash payments can mitigate neglect by improving parents' access to basic needs. Researchers have also told BI that reducing family financial stress can lead to a reduction in cases of physical abuse and domestic violence.

“Many of the families we're seeing becoming more involved in foster care and child welfare are struggling with gaps and holes in the social safety net,” says Mike Shaver, CEO of Brightpoint, a Chicago-based organization that provides child welfare and family support programs.

The GBI pilot project is a partnership between the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services and Brightpoint. Funding is provided by the Department of Children and Family Services and various foundations.

The 400 families receiving cash payments from EmPwR will be compared with a control group of 400 other families who meet the criteria for the program but do not receive payments. All 800 families will continue to receive other child protection services as usual.

According to Shaver, there are no income requirements for participants, and the monthly amount of money families receive is based on the number of children they have and the local cost of living. The researchers assume that the enrollment of participants and control group members will be ongoing.

EmPwR is part of over 100 guaranteed basic income pilot programs across the country – programs that provide participants between $100 and $2,000 a month for a set period of time to reduce poverty. Past guaranteed basic income participants have told BI they have used the money for rent, food, child care and medicine.

Giving money to parents is an increasingly popular political idea. Several of America's basic income programs already give money to single parents, low-income pregnant people, and foster children. Other government welfare programs, such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Supplemental Nutrition for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), also aim to provide financial support to parents. In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, both Democrats and Republicans have expressed support for an expanded child tax credit.

However, it should be noted that not all cases of child abuse or maltreatment are due to poverty-related neglect.

“The idea is not to say that all neglect is caused by poverty or is the only solution,” said Will Schneider, associate professor of social work at the University of Illinois and lead researcher on the EmPwR pilot project. “But this financial support is a missing piece of the puzzle.”

Illinois hopes guaranteed basic income will reduce poverty-related neglect

Illinois' GBI program comes at a time when nearly four million families are referred to child welfare services each year. About 38% of all children – and 53% of black children – are evaluated by child welfare agencies by their 18th birthday.

These child protection referrals can be made from Suspicion of physical violence, sexual abuse, or situations where a child's basic needs are not met. And this system involvement can lead to parents losing custody and children being placed in foster care for short or long periods of time.

However, according to Schneider, over 70% of all abuse reports in the United States are cases of neglect, which usually result from a child not receiving adequate care, meals or hygiene. Because of this, low-income families – many of whom face housing and food shortages – at least three times more likely to be reported for neglect than families who do not have financial problems.

While there are helpful tools, such as care training and violence prevention services, often offered through the social system, these interventions sometimes do not address the root cause of neglect cases. Schneider said some low-income parents do not receive the resources or government assistance they need to provide for themselves and their children. Without financial support, parents fall back into the system.

“Parents know what's best for their children and want to do what's best for them,” Schneider said. “And if they have access to support, they will make those decisions.”

Throughout the EmPwR pilot program, University of Illinois researchers plan to collect quantitative data such as participants' spending and conduct surveys and interviews with participants about their experiences. They will also measure the frequency with which families are referred back to the welfare system while receiving benefits. The pilot program will also be conducted nationwide, so researchers will compare the security and financial outcomes of families in rural areas with those in cities. Family assistance programs are often harder to access in rural areas, Schneider said.

Studies show that financial support can increase family security

There is already evidence that financial support and unconditional cash can reduce cases of neglect and domestic violence.

BI previously reported on a study published in January by doctors at the PolicyLab at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, which found that family financial circumstances are an important indicator of child welfare involvement. For example, hospitalizations of children for severe head injuries during the financial crisis of 2008.

The study found that housing assistance programs, affordable childcarea guaranteed basic income and tax relief limit abuse and reduce the number of children placed in foster care.

In July, Los Angeles released the results of a GBI pilot program in which 3,200 households received $1,000 a month for a year starting in January 2022. Within the first six months of the program, participants—some of whom were parents and all of whom lived near the poverty line—left domestic violence situations more often than the pilot control group.

Of course, GBI pilots are temporary. It is not yet clear whether cash payments will have a lasting effect on family financial security and child welfare involvement in the months or years after the end of the GBI. Some politicians and economists also believe that the millions of dollars a GBI program would cost are unsustainable for taxpayers or private donors.

Still, Schneider said providing a basic income to families living in the child welfare system could help parents better afford food, shelter and health care. He said the program also aims to provide lessons for future policies that prevent maltreatment and keep families together.

Have you participated in a guaranteed basic income program? Are you willing to share what you spent your money on? If so, contact this reporter at [email protected].