The attached papers offer a current overview of research documenting child-related outcomes of cash-based interventions in both humanitarian and development contexts globally. Collectively, they offer a synthesis of both programmatic evidence (including indicators) and academic research, with gaps in evidence identified. It is noteworthy that the majority of outcomes examined relate to health, food security, nutrition, and education.

(1) Save the Children UK (2016) \"Cash plus\" programmes for children. A Child Poverty Global Theme Resource Paper.

In humanitarian contexts, the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit strongly affirmed the potentially transformative role of cash-based programming to deliver more assistance in a relevant, timely and cost-effective way; and the UN Secretary-General has called for cash-based programming to be used as the preferred and default method of support, where feasible and appropriate However, the evidence also suggests that providing cash alone brings about more limited results on higher level outcomes for children, such as improved learning, health and nutritional status and protection.Such higher level impacts for children are often additionally dependent on other factors. These further factors may include: the

availability and accessibility of local basic services; service quality and accountability to users; knowledge and practices of appropriate child care among parents, care-givers and communities; and household investments made in children. Complementary actions to address these factors, based on context-specific analysis, can potentially be effective in strengthening the impacts of cash transfers for children in poverty.

(2) Chaluda, A. (2015) Do cash transfers increase the wellbeing of children? A review of the literature. Supporting Transformation by Reducing Insecurity and Vulnerability with Economic Strengthening (STRIVE) Program. FHI 360 and USAID.

To be added in final form:
(3) Mishra, A. (2016) Synthesis report on child outcomes of cash transfer programmes: What works and what doesn’t for children in humanitarian and development contexts. Save the Children UK.

This systematic review attempts to fill this evidence gap by reviewing a comprehensive list of indicators around outcomes for children in health, food security, nutrition, protection, and education. These indicators include both those that indirectly concern children, such as maternal health status, as well as those that directly affect children, such as the child’s health. It also expands the scope to include evidence from both development and humanitarian contexts, generated between 2012 and 2016.

Examining the evidence: The relationship between cash transfer interventions and family separatio...