Urban Institute/The New America Foundation/The Partnership for America’s Economic Success
Federal investment in children is likely to decline over the next 10 years, according to this study commissioned by the Partnership for America’s Economic Success. The share of the federal budget for programs designed to enhance the future productivity or income of youth – such as those that improve education, promote good health or support parents’ ability to work – is forecast to drop from 1.6 percent of the gross domestic product in 2006 to 1.3 percent by 2017, under current policies.
According to the study’s authors, the decline would be even greater except for projected increases in federal spending on children’s health care caused by spiraling medical costs. They find that domestic spending is likely to rise by about $647 billion by 2017, with less than half of 1 percent of the increase going toward investment in education and research.
The Partnership for America’s Economic Success is a working group supported by the Pew Charitable Trusts. Free. 26 pages. (202) 833-7200, http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411539_investing_in_children.pdf.
