Monthly Cash Gifts for Child Development
(BFY Trial)
Trial Summary
Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?
The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems unlikely that medication use would affect participation, as the study focuses on the impact of cash gifts on child development.
What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Monthly Cash Gifts for Child Development?
How does the treatment of monthly cash gifts for child development differ from other treatments?
The treatment of monthly cash gifts for child development is unique because it involves providing financial support directly to families, rather than using traditional medical or therapeutic interventions. This approach focuses on improving child development by addressing socioeconomic factors, which is different from standard treatments that typically involve medications or behavioral therapies.678910
What is the purpose of this trial?
Recent advances in developmental neuroscience suggest that experiences early in life can have profound and enduring influences on the developing brain. Family economic resources shape the nature of many of these experiences, yet the extent to which they affect children's development is unknown. The project's team of neuroscientists, economists and developmental psychologists is seeking to fill important gaps in scientific knowledge about the role of economic resources in early development by evaluating the first U.S. randomized controlled trial to determine whether unconditional cash gift payments have a causal effect on the cognitive, socio-emotional and brain development of infants and toddlers in low-income U.S. families.Specifically, 1,000 mothers of infants with incomes below the federal poverty line from four diverse U.S. communities were recruited from post-partum wards and are receiving monthly cash gift payments by debit card for the first 76 months of the child's life. Parents in the experimental group and receiving $333 per month ($3,996 per year), whereas parents in the active comparator group are receiving a nominal monthly payment of $20. In order to understand the impacts of the added income on children's cognitive and behavioral development, the investigators are assessing treatment group differences at ages 4 (this lab assessment was postponed from age 3 to age 4 due to Covid-19), 6, and 8 in lab-administered measures of cognitive, language, and self-regulation development and maternal reports of socio-emotional development. A number of other maternal-reported child outcome measures were gathered at ages 1, 2 and 3. Brain circuitry may be sensitive to the effects of early experience even before early behavioral differences can be detected. In order to understand the impacts of added income on children's brain functioning at age 4, 6, and 8, the investigators will assess, during a lab visit, experimental/active comparator group differences in measures of brain activity (electroencephalography \[EEG\]). The targeted age for each data collection wave is around the child's birthday, i.e. at 12 months, 24 months, 36 months, 48 months, 72 months, and 96 months.To understand how family economic behavior, parenting, and parent stress and well-being change in response to income enhancement, the investigators will assess experimental/active comparator differences in family expenditures, food insecurity, housing and neighborhood quality, family routines and time use, parent stress, mental health and cognition, parenting practices, and child care and preschool arrangements. School readiness and outcomes are being assessed at ages 6 and 8. This study will thus provide the first definitive understanding of the extent to which income plays a causal role in determining early child cognitive, socio-emotional and brain development among low-income families.
Research Team
Greg Duncan, PhD
Principal Investigator
University of California, Irvine
Eligibility Criteria
This trial is for mothers over 18 with newborns not needing intensive care, living in the state of recruitment, and speaking English or Spanish. They must plan to stay in the area for at least a year and have a household income below the federal poverty line.Inclusion Criteria
Exclusion Criteria
Timeline
Screening
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial
Treatment
Mothers receive monthly cash gift payments for 76 months to assess the impact on child development
Follow-up
Participants are monitored for cognitive, socio-emotional, and brain development at ages 4, 6, and 8
Data Collection Waves
Data collection occurs at 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, and 96 months to assess various developmental and family metrics
Treatment Details
Interventions
- Monthly cash gift payments of $20
- Monthly cash gift payments of $333
Find a Clinic Near You
Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?
University of California, Irvine
Lead Sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Collaborator
University of Minnesota
Collaborator
University of Michigan
Collaborator
University of New Orleans
Collaborator
University of Maryland
Collaborator
University of Wisconsin, Madison
Collaborator
New York University
Collaborator
University of Nebraska
Collaborator
Duke University
Collaborator