Children in Head Start show enhanced cognitive, social, and physical development in the short term. Studies of the longer-term effects of Head Start are inconclusive. Housing assistance programs improve housing quality and reduce housing costs for recipients, but there is a large unmet need for acceptable, affordable housing among poor families. Additional research, especially about each program's effects over time on children's health and development, is needed. Choosing Among Alternative Programs for Poor Children Janet M. Currie, Ph.D. Developing and choosing among programs for poor children is difficult because of limited information about the effects programs have on poor children and the noncomparability of different types of program benefits.
Some broad themes emerge.
Several programs that target specific benefits directly to children have been shown to have positive effects on a range of outcomes. In recent years, federal support available to poor children has increasingly been provided in the form of goods and services rather than in the form of cash. More information about the effects of specific programs on children is needed before sweeping policy recommendations can be made. The article ends with policy recommendations that can be supported by the available evidence. These multifaceted initiatives attempt to both strengthen communities and improve the provision of social and other services to children and families.