Cash Transfers to Address Child Welfare Involvement

NCT05857553 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: OCFS DCT Pilot
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 450
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

In partnership with New York Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS), investigators will execute a randomized controlled trial to determine the impacts of unconditional cash transfers of $500 per month for 12 months. Investigators will measure the impacts of the unconditional cash transfers on parental physical and mental health, child health and healthcare utilization, financial stability, and interactions with the child welfare system.

Conditions

Child Poverty

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

• Unfounded reports to CPS

  Count of unfounded reports using CPS administrative data

  18 months

• Investigative Track reports to CPS

  Count of Investigative Track using CPS administrative data

  18 months

• Indicated reports to CPS

  Count of Indicated reports using CPS administrative data

  18 Months

• Substantiated reports to CPS

  Count of Substantiated reports using CPS administrative data

  18 Months

• Family Assessment Response (FAR) track reports to CPS

  Count of Family Assessment Response (FAR) track reports using CPS administrative dat

  18 months

• Unsubstantiated reports to CPS

  Count of Unsubstantiated reports using CPS administrative data

  18 months

• Foster care placements

  Count of Foster care placements using CPS administrative data

  18 months

Secondary Outcomes (12)

• Parental self-reported general health (SF-36)

  12 months

• Mental health (Kessler 10)

  12 months

• Stress and coping (Perceived Stress Scale - 4)

  12 months

• Family dynamics and parenting (CHAOS)

  12 months

• Parental Stress Sale

  12 months

Study Arms (2)

Treatment Group

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the treatment group will receive $500 per month for 12 months

Other: Unconditional Cash Transfer

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the control group will not receive monthly cash benefits.

Other: No Direct Cash Transfer

Interventions

Unconditional Cash Transfer OTHER

Unconditional monthly transfer of $500 to household

Also known as: Direct Cash Transfer, Guaranteed Income

Treatment Group

No Direct Cash Transfer OTHER

No intervention

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may not qualify if:

• ● Self-reported enrollment in another cash transfer study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Pennsylvania: lead
• Redlich Horwitz Foundation: collaborator
• Rutgers University: collaborator
• Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, United States

Location

Study Officials

• Stacia West, PhD

  University of Pennsylvania/University of Tennessee

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor & Co-Founding Director of the Center for Guaranteed Income Research

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 28, 2023
• First Posted: May 12, 2023
• Study Start: June 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: December 15, 2024
• Study Completion: December 15, 2024
• Last Updated: January 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)