Early Findings in 'Baby's First Years' Study Shows Cash Aid Helps Brain Development

KQED's Forum

KQED

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.6 • 656 Ratings

🗓️ 2 February 2022

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Early results of an ongoing clinical trial found that cash aid to low-income mothers increases brain activity in babies – a finding that could help shape social policy. Called "Baby's First Years," it's the first study in the U.S. to look at the impact of poverty reduction on early childhood development. "We don't need brain science to tell us that no child should live in poverty, " asserts Dr. Kimberly Noble, one of the neuroscientists who led the study. But while many have assumed other factors, not poverty, impact childhood development, "evidence here suggests that reducing poverty may in and of itself affect child development." We'll discuss the study and what it could mean for public policy, like President Biden’s proposed child tax credit, going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Support for KQED Podcasts comes from Landmark College, commemorating 40 years of educating people who learn differently, with programs on campus and online for both students and professionals.
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0:31.1	From KQED.
0:32.1	Thank you. From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Alexis Madrigal.
0:46.3	Look, there are a boatload of research papers that demonstrate that poverty, simply not having enough money, is very bad for people. Poor people die younger after less healthy lives.
0:57.0	Countless studies have shown that statistically poor children come into school
1:01.0	performing less well than rich kids.
1:03.0	Government programs like Head Start try to level the playing field for poor children.
1:08.0	But what if there was a simpler way?
1:10.0	What if giving poor families cash
1:11.5	boosted the cognitive development of very young kids? That's the tantalizing possibility.
1:17.5	A new neuroscientific study of Cash Aid Presents. We'll talk with one of the lead authors.
1:22.3	And then we'll talk about San Quentin closing down its death row. That's all next after this news.
1:40.2	Welcome to Forum. I'm Alexis Madrigal. A clinical trial called Baby's First Years. Asked a simple question. Would giving poor mothers an infusion of cash each month, no strings attached,
1:46.1	have an effect on their baby's brain development? There are years to go in the study, which has also
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