Table 1: Growth in Public Benefit Programs Supporting Children
Source: Urban Institute, Public Supports When Parents Lose Work: A Fact Sheet |
In the accompanying research brief, researchers noted that during the recession, most low-income families were able to access at least some public assistance (in the form of cash, food, or both) when one or both parents were unemployed. However, they also found that many families receiving some form of assistance still struggled economically and were food insecure. But, according to the brief, “without the safety net, unemployed parents would have found it more of a challenge to meet their children’s basic needs.”