October 9, 2024

In this edition:  

• Check out our new work on understanding student loan repayment programs, student loan debt and educational access, who the new immigrants are, the economics of deportation, common myths about abortion, and a new framework for children’s policy.
• What we’re reading: financial incentives for adoption and kin guardianship, how cities are fighting gun violence, and the long-term consequences of child welfare cuts.
• This month’s top chart shows what different proposed child tax credits would cost and who they would benefit most.
• Worth a click: understand what is affecting upward mobility in your community, potential major tax changes, and misinformation about immigrants in the 2024 presidential election.
• For your calendar: conversations about how economic insecurity harms children and families, scaling local innovations for achieving housing affordability, and teaching students what it means to be an American.

This edition was written by Tara Watson and Jonathon Zars.

💡 New from us: Student loans, new immigrants, the economics of deportation, myths about abortion, and children’s policy

Confused about the state of student loan repayment? Sarah Turner and Sarah Reber’s recent explainer investigates income-driven student loan repayment plans, the new SAVE plan, and the payment count adjustment. The injunction against SAVE is creating big problems for borrowers and costing taxpayers, the authors note.

Student loan debt in the U.S. has reached unprecedented levels, having quadrupled over the past two decades. Adam Looney and Constantine Yannelis reveal that borrowing has surged most at the riskiest institutions and among the most vulnerable borrowers. They underscore the challenges of relying on the current student loan system to promote educational access.

Immigration has taken center stage in the U.S. presidential election. Key immigration patterns, the economic implications, and considerations for future policy are explored in this commentary by Tara Watson and Simon Hodson. In a separate piece, Chloe East suggests that drastic enforcement measures such as a policy of mass deportation would hurt U.S.-born workers by hamstringing current job growth, lowering demand for goods and services, and hurting the long-run fiscal health of the country. Tara Watson’s recent conversation on EconoFact discusses these topics and more.

Abortion and women’s reproductive rights continue to be a pressing issue with national attention. Isabel Sawhill and Kai Smith provide a commentary highlighting five of the most common myths about abortion in the United States.

The Frameworks Institute recently hosted a webinar and discussion for building a new narrative about children and family policy. During the event, speaker Tara Watson emphasized the importance of including children in a broader range of policy discussions. She noted that people often confine their hopes and dreams for kids to a limited number of kid-specific policies, but the reality is that children are impacted by a much larger array of policy decisions.

📖 What we're reading

Financial incentives for adoption and guardianship. Minnesota enhanced financial support for adoption and guardianship to match foster care payments for children aged six and older. This change resulted in an estimated 29% increase in the likelihood of children transitioning from foster care to adoption or guardianship. These gains in permanency have led to improvements in school stability, reduced suspensions, and enhanced academic performance.

What reducing gun violence in America requires. Author Thomas Abt has an intimate understanding of urban violence and the policy environment trying to resolve it. His book, "Bleeding Out," introduces a proposal that aspires to reduce violence with three key principles: focus, balance, and fairness. Vox Magazine says Abt’s book "has become foundational in tackling urban violence across the U.S."

The consequences of welfare cuts on children. Early 2000s Danish welfare reform drastically reduced cash transfers for newly arrived refugees with legal residency. Affected children experienced increased economic hardship and worse educational outcomes. A recently published paper sheds light on how the negative effects of child welfare cuts persist into adulthood.

📊 Top chart: Not all Child Tax Credit proposals are made the same

The expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) in 2021 had a significant impact on reducing poverty and hardship across the country. Since then, discussions about the future of the CTC have continued. According to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, the most beneficial reforms for low-income families are those that eliminate the phase-in of the credit entirely or adjust the phase-in process for certain groups. In contrast, reforms that merely raise the maximum credit value offer little help to families constrained by phase-in and refund limitations.

➡️ Worth a click

• Listen to this podcast about what major tax changes may be coming. 

• In this article, see how misinformation about immigrants is being tracked during the 2024 presidential election.

• Check out this interactive data tool that shows what is affecting upward mobility in your community.

📅 For your calendar

Teaching students what it means to be an American 

Thomas B. Fordham Institute 

Thursday, October 10, 2024, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. EDT

Watch online 

Scaling local innovations for achieving housing affordability 

Bipartisan Policy Center 

Thursday, October 24, 2024, 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. EDT 

Watch online or attend in person 

Living on the edge: How economic insecurity harms children and families 

Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan 

Friday, October 25, 2024, 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. EDT 

Watch online

About the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at Brookings

The Center for Economic Security and Opportunity (CESO) produces data-driven, nonpartisan analysis to address the United States’ most challenging social policy questions. In a noisy and polarized world, the Center is a trustworthy source for the information and tools policymakers need to build an economy that works for everyone.