The Role of Cash Transfers in Improving Child Outcomes: The importance of child-sensitivity and taking a “Cash Plus” approach

This paper reviews the evidence relating to the impact of cash transfers on a wide range of child outcomes spanning child health and survival, learning, and child protection. These areas represent the three broad strategic areas around which Save the Children seeks to achieve substantial breakthroughs for children by 2030. For each of the three outcome areas, the paper considers a range of indicators that we know represent important pathways for impacting upon child survival, learning and protection outcomes.

The review draws on impact evidence for a wide range of different types of cash transfer, including those that are and are not purposefully designed to improve child outcomes in humanitarian and non-humanitarian contexts. As well as presenting impact evidence, the review also provides further detail of a number of programmes implemented by Save the Children that are specifically designed to improve outcomes for children.