Lancet
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This Health Policy examines the relationship between child cash benefits and child health, with the goal of informing future policy development in the USA. As of 2024, more than 140 countries have adopted large-scale, government-funded child cash transfer programmes. High-income countries more often adopt universal or near universal programmes, while lower-income countries often impose means tests or condition benefits on specific behaviours. ⋯ Although the expanded CTC expired, state and local governments and communities have continued to advocate for and implement policies like it. On the basis of this success and building on global evidence, the USA should adopt a permanent child cash benefit consistent with other high-income countries and the 2021 expanded CTC. Nations further developing their cash benefits should also give special attention to the prenatal and infant period.