Related UI Researchers

Publications on Economy/Taxes

This report examines more than 100 programs through which the federal government spends money on children and calculates the amount spent on children under three. These first time expenditure estimates provide a place to start in gauging the priority the nation places on investing in very young children and in comparing expenditure patterns to researchers’ findings about investments that work. For example, despite extensive child development research underscoring the importance of quality early care and education programs for infants and toddlers, especially those in poverty, just 7 percent of federal funding for children between birth and age 2 went toward these efforts in 2007.

Extensive research shows investing in very young children can help build a strong future workforce, improve children's educational success and health, and potentially reduce some of the social ills that drain the nation’s resources and will. What investments does the United States currently make in infants and toddlers?

Despite extensive research documenting the benefits of investing in young children, infants and toddlers are underrepresented in the federal budget. The nation's 12.5 million children under age 3 are 4.2 percent of the population, but they received just 2.1 percent-$44.1 billion-of federal domestic spending in 2007.

Medicaid physician fees increased 15.1 percent, on average, between 2003 and 2008. This was below the general rate of inflation, resulting in a reduction in real fees. Only primary care fees grew at the rate of inflation--20 percent between 2003 and 2008. However, because of slow growth in Medicare fees, Medicaid fees closed a small portion of their ongoing gap relative to Medicare--growing from 69 percent to 72 percent of Medicare. The increase in Medicaid fees relative to Medicare fees resulted from relative increases for primary care and obstetrical services, but not for other services.

Mary Cunningham, author of "Preventing and Ending Homelessness—Next Steps," answers five questions about how to combat homelessness. Evidence-based approaches have cut homelessness among chronically homeless single adults and new strategies are now being adopted to help homeless families. Investing in proven strategies is crucial as the economic crisis puts more people at risk of ending up in shelters and threatens to reverse the progress communities have made toward ending and preventing homelessness.