Effects of Child Health on Sources of Public Support (Poor Child Health Directly Impacts on the Economic Welfare of Families‪)‬

1. Introduction A growing body of research reveals that not only does low income lead to poor child health, but poor child health can have deleterious effects on family resources that may contribute to health and economic disadvantages over the life course. Corman and Kaestner (1992), Mauldon (1992), Joesch and Smith (1997), and Fertig (2004) found that married couples are more likely to divorce when their child has a serious health problem, and Reichman, Corman, and Noonan (2004) found that one-year-old children with serious health problems are less likely than their healthy peers to live with their fathers. Having a child in poor health reduces mothers' labor force participation (Norberg 1998, Powers 2003, Corman, Noonan, and Reichman 2005), and it also appears to have increased reliance on cash assistance through the former Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program (Wolfe and Hill 1995). It is not known whether mothers with unhealthy children are more likely than those with healthy children to rely on welfare in the current public assistance environment. The answer to this question has implications for mothers' ability to make ends meet and to invest in their children's health.