Published Papers​​

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Costanzo, M. A., Magnuson, K. A., Duncan, G. J., Fox, N., Gennetian, L. A., Halpern-Meekin, S., Noble, K. G & Yoshikawa, H. A. (2025). Research Note on Unconditional Cash Transfers and Fertility in the United States: New Causal Evidence. Demography. https://doi.org/10.1215/00703370-11872728 [PDF]

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​​​​Hart, E. R., Gennetian, L. A., Sperber, J. F., Penalva, R., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G. J., ... & Noble, K. G. (2024). The effect of unconditional cash transfers on maternal assessments of children’s early language and socioemotional development: Experimental evidence from US families residing in poverty. Developmental Psychology, https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2025-16928-001 [PDF].

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Das, A.,  Osypuk,. T. L., Yoo, P. Y., Magnuson, K., Gennetian, L. A., Noble, K. G., Bruckner, T. A. Poverty reduction and childhood opportunity moves: A randomized trial of cash transfers to low-income U.S. families with infants, Health & Place, Volume 89, 2024, 103320, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2024.103320[PDF].

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Sauval, M., Duncan, G. J., Gennetian, L. A., Magnuson, K. A., Fox, N. A., Noble, K. G., & Yoshikawa, H. (2024). Unconditional cash transfers and maternal employment: Evidence from the Baby’s First Years study. Journal of Public Economics, 236, 105159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2024.105159 [PDF]

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Egan-Dailey, S., Gennetian, L. A., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G., Yoshikawa, H., Fox, N., & Noble, K. (2024). Child-directed speech in a large sample of U.S. mothers with low income. Child Development. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.14139 [PDF]. 

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Gennetian, L. A., Duncan, G., Fox, N., Halpern-Meekin, S., Magnuson, K., Noble, K. G., & Yoshikawa, H. (2024). Effects of a monthly unconditional cash transfer starting at birth on family investments among US families with low income. Nature Human Behaviour. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38907028/ [PDF]

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Stilwell, L., Morales-Gracia, M., Magnuson, K., Gennetian, L. A., Sauval, M., Fox, N. A., ... & Noble, K. G. (2024). Unconditional

Cash and Breastfeeding, Child Care, and Maternal Employment among Families with Young Children Residing in

Poverty. Social Service Review, 98(2), 000-000. https:///doi/10.1086/729364 [PDF]

  

Adams, E. A., Scott, M. E., Amarante, E., Ramirez, C. A., Rowley, S. J., Noble, K. G.,  & Troller-Renfree, S. V. (2024). Fostering inclusion in EEG measures of pediatric brain activity. npj Science of Learning, 9, 27. PMCID: 38565857.  https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-024-00240-y [PDF]

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Halpern-Meekin, S., Gennetian, L. A., Hoiting, J., Stilwell, L., & Meyer, L. (2024). Monthly unconditional income supplements starting at birth: Experiences among mothers of young children with low incomes in the U.S.. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1002/pam.22571 [PDF]​

 

Troller-Renfree, S. V., Sperber, J. F., Hart, E. R., Costanzo, M. A., Gennetian, L. A., Meyer, J. S., Fox, N. A., & Noble, K. G. (2023). Associations between maternal stress and infant resting brain activity among families residing in poverty in the U.S. Biological Psychology, 184, 108683. NIHMS1940081.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108683 [PDF]

 

Costanzo, M. A., Magnuson, K. A., Gennetian, L. A., Halpern-Meekin, S., Noble, K. G., & Yoshikawa, H. (2023). Contraception use and satisfaction among mothers with low-income: Evidence from the baby’s first years study. Contraception, 110297. PMCID: 37806470. doi:10.1016/j.contraception.2023.110297 [PDF]

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Sperber, J. F., Gennetian, L. A., Hart, E. R., Kunin-Batson, A., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G. J., ... & Noble, K. G. (2023). Unconditional Cash Transfers and Maternal Assessments of Children's Health, Nutrition, and Sleep: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Network Open, 6(9), PMCID: PMC10543132. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.35237 [PDF]. For additional commentary, see The Impact of Poverty Reduction on Child Health, Nutrition, and Sleep in the United States | The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab

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Premo, E., Magnuson, K., Lorenzo, N., Fox, N., & Noble, K.G. (2023). Mental health and sleep quality of low-income mothers of one-year-olds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Infant Mental Health Journal. PubMed deposit in process. PMCID: PMC10403317 Available at Wiley Online Library: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/imhj.22074 [PDF]

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Gennetian, L. A., S. Halpern-Meekin, L. Meyer, N. Fox, K. Magnuson, K. G. Noble, H. Yoshikawa (2023). Cash to U.S. families at scale: Behavioral insights on implementation from the Baby's First Years Study. In D. Soman, J. Zhao, and S. Datta (Eds.), Using Cash Transfers to Build an Inclusive Society: A Behaviorally Informed Approach. Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Available at: https://www.biorgpartnership.com/books  [PDF]. For a two minute video clip, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbPuz8JU2uc&list=PLG8y1Bk481eknlWkwSffbhIgPtXff7ESn&index=3

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Troller-Renfree, S., Hart, E., Sperber, J., Fox, N., & Noble, K.G. (2022). Associations among stress and language and socioemotional development in a low-income sample. Development and Psychopathology, 1-9. 2022 May;34(2):597-605. Epub 2022 Mar 8. PMID: 35256040; PMCID: PMC9452599. doi:10.1017/S0954579421001759 [PDF] 

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Troller-Renfree, S.V., Costanzo, M.A., Duncan, G.J., Magnuson, K. A., Gennetian, L. A., Yoshikawa, H., Fox, N.A., Halpern-Meekin, S, and Noble, K.G. (2022). The impact of a poverty reduction intervention on infant brain activity. Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences U S A. 2022 Feb 1;119(5):e2115649119. PMID: 35074878; PMCID: PMC8812534. doi:10.1073/pnas.2115649119 [PDF]

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Yoo, P.Y., Duncan, G.J., Magnuson, K., Fox, N. A., Yoshikawa, H., Halpern‑Meekin, S., & Noble, K.G. (2022). Unconditional cash transfers and maternal substance use: findings from a randomized control trial of low-income mothers with infants in the U.S. BMC Public Health. 2022 May 5;22(1):897. PMID: 35513842; PMCID: PMC9070980.

doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-12989-1 [PDF]​​

 

Troller-Renfree, S.V., Morales, S., Leach, S.C., Bowers, M.E., Debnath, R., Fifer, W.P., Fox, N.A., & Noble, K.G. (2021). Feasibility of Assessing Brain Activity using Mobile, In-home Collection of Electroencephalography: Theory, Methods, and Analysis. Developmental Psychobiology ​2021 Sep;63(6): e22128. Epub 2021 Jun 4. PMID: 34087950; PMCID: PMC8478406. doi:10.1002/dev.22128 [PDF]

 

Noble, K.G., Magnuson, K.A., Gennetian, L. A., Duncan, G.J., Yoshikawa, H., Fox, N.A., Halpern-Meekin, S. (2021). Baby’s First Years: Design of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Poverty Reduction in the United States. Pediatrics. 2021 Oct;148(4): e2020049702. Epub 2021 Sep 2. PMID: 34475270; PMCID: PMC8487960. doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-049702 [PDF]

 

Rojas, N.M., Yoshikawa, H., Gennetian, L. A., Rangel,M.L., Melvin, S., Noble, K.G., Duncan, G., Magunson, K. (2020) Exploring the experiences and dynamics of an unconditional cash transfer for low-income mothers: A mixed-methods study, Journal of Children and Poverty. doi:10.1080/10796126.2019.1704161 [PDF] 

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Working Papers and Preprints​​​​

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Escueta, M., Gennetian, L. A., Magnuson, K., Halpern-Meekin, S., Noble, K. G., and Yoshikawa, H. (February 23, 2025). Unconditional Cash and Intimate Partner Violence (February 23, 2025). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5150249 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5150249

 

Noble, K. G., Magnuson, K., Duncan, G. J., Gennetian, L. A., Yoshikawa, H., Fox, N., Halpern-Meekin, S., Troller-Renfree, S.V., Han, S., Egan-Dailey, S., Nelson, T., Nelson, J.M., Black, S., Georgieff, M., and Karhson, D. (2024, December 19). The Effect of a Monthly Unconditional Cash Transfer on Children’s Development at Four Years of Age: A Randomized Controlled Trial in the U.S. View at: osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/udbt9

 

Troller-Renfree, S. V., Costanzo, M. A., Duncan, G. J., Magnuson, K., Gennetian, L. A., Yoshikawa, H., Black, S., Karhson, D., Georgieff, M, Nelson, J.M., Nelson, T., Fox, N., and Noble, K. G. (2024, December 19). The impact of a monthly unconditional cash transfer on child brain activity:  A 4-year follow-up. View at: osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/dw2em

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Magnuson, K., Duncan, G., Yoshikawa, H., Yoo, P. Y,  Han, S., Gennetian, L. A., Fox, N., Halpern-Meekin, S., and Noble, K. G. (2024). Can Cash Transfers Improve Maternal Well-being and Family Processes among Families with Young Children? An Experimental Analysis. https://ssrn.com/abstract=4955765 [PDF]. 

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Gennetian, L. A., Maury, M., Stilwell, L., Shah, H., Magnuson, K., Noble, K., ... & Yoshikawa, H. (2024). The Impact of Monthly Unconditional Cash on Food Security, Spending, and Consumption: Three Year Follow-Up Findings from the Baby's First Years Study. Available at SSRN: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4781670 [PDF]

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Gennetian, L. A., Duncan, G., Fox, N. A., Magnuson, K., Halpern-Meekin, S., Noble, K. G., & Yoshikawa, H. (2022). Unconditional cash and family investments in infants: Evidence from a large-scale cash transfer experiment in the US (No. w30379). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w30379  [PDF]

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                                                                                Policy Briefs

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Regular, Monthly Unconditional Cash Gift Increases Families' Time and Money on Children from Infancy through Age 4 Research Brief (March 2025)

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​Regular, Monthly Cash Gifts in the Baby’s First Years Study: Program Design and Families’ Experiences Research Brief (August 2024)

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Regular, Monthly Unconditional Cash Gift Increases Families’ Investments in Young Children Research Brief (June 2024)

 

Impact of Monthly Unconditional Cash on Food Security, Spending, and Consumption Research Brief (April 2024)

 

The Impact of Monthly Unconditional Cash on Food Security, Spending, and Consumption: Three Year Follow-Up Findings from the Baby's First Years Study Working Paper (April 2024)​

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Qualitative Study: Publications

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Landrum, G., Halpern-Meekin, S., & McDonald, M. D. (2025). "I don't try to seek him out": Views of child support over time. Journal of Marriage and Family. https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.13099 [PDF]​​

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Barnes, C. Y., Halpern-Meekin, S., & Hoiting, J. (2024). “They need more programs for the kids:” Low-income mothers' views of government amidst economic precarity and burdensome programs. International Journal of Social Welfare, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsw.12641 [PDF]

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Barnes, C., Halpern-Meekin, S., & Hoiting, J. (2023). "I used to get WIC ... but then I stopped": How WIC participants perceive the value and burdens of maintaining benefits. RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences, 9 (5) 32-55. PMCID: 38486832. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7758/RSF.2023.9.5.02 [PDF]

 

Collins, J. M., Halpern-Meekin, S., Harvey, M., & Hoiting, J. (2023). “ If I don't have credit, I don't have anything”: Perspectives on the credit scoring system among mothers with low incomes. Journal of Consumer Affairs, 57(4), 1605–1622. PMCID: 38214004. https://doi.org/10.1111/joca.12561 [PDF] 

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Collins, JM, Halpern-Meekin S, Harvey M, Hoiting J. "I Don't Like All Those Fees" Pragmatism About Financial Services Among Low-Income Parents. J Fam Econ Issues. 2022 Nov 5:1-14. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36373018; PMCID: PMC9638425. Available at Springer Link: doi: 10.1007/s10834-022-09873-w [PDF]​

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Blogs and Podcasts​

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Strengthening randomized evaluations with qualitative research: Baby’s First Years mothers' experiences. Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, blog (5 November 2021).  https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/11-5-21/strengthening-randomized-evaluations-qualitative-research-part-5-babys-first-years

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Strengthening randomized evaluations with qualitative research: Baby’s First Years household measurement. Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, blog (18 February 2022). https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/2-18-22/strengthening-randomized-evaluations-qualitative-research-babys-first-years-household​

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Centering parents and parenting in randomized evaluations of cash transfers to families. Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab, blog (15 March 2024). https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/3-15-24/centering-parents-and-parenting-randomized-evaluations-cash-transfers-families

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Grocery and meal insight from the Baby's First Years project. World Food Policy Center, Duke University: The Leading Voices in Food (28 March 2024). https://wfpc.sanford.duke.edu/podcasts/grocery-and-meal-insight-from-the-babys-first-years-project/

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