Kids’ Share 2010: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children Through 2009

Kids’ Share 2010 examines how much federal spending was directed toward children and families in fiscal year 2009.

The report shows that although the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 spurred spending on children, the kids’ overall share of the total federal budget outlays actually fell from 9.8 percent in 2008 to 9.5 percent in 2009. The modest decrease is attributed to state and local spending cuts.

Many children’s programs are projected to reach peak spending in 2010. The authors conclude that federal expenditures on children increased in real terms between 2008 and 2009, due largely to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. However, the trend for total federal-state spending on children during the recession is still unknown since changes in state and local expenditures (e.g., drastic spending cuts) could overcome the recent federal increases.

The report, published in July 2010 by The Brookings Institution and The Urban Institute, is the fourth annual examination of federal spending trends on children and families.
 

Read the report.