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This study compares the well-being of low-income children who receive assistance from TANF and SNAP to their low-income, non-recipient counterparts. Two dimensions of child well-being are examined – educational development and health. Educational development is measured by (1) participation in extracurricular activities and (2) having positive attitudes towards school. Health is measured by (1) being in excellent or very good health and (2) having seen a doctor at least once in the 12 months prior to interview. One goal of this paper is to determine whether program participant children have better, similar, or worse well-being than non-participants. Results show that SNAP participants are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities, to have positive attitudes towards school, and to be in excellent or very good health. TANF and SNAP participation are associated with greater odds of having seen a doctor in the past 12 months. A second goal of this paper is to explore whether program participation differences in child well-being are explained by differences in average income-to-poverty ratio, race, nativity, parental characteristics, and household characteristics. Program participation differences remain significantly related to child well-being; however, parental characteristics explain away the effect of SNAP on the odds of having positive attitudes towards school.
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