Happy Families

Bolsa Família, or the Family Fund, pays a benefit to mothers with low earnings, provided they send their children to school, show up for vaccinations and meet some other conditions. The program began in Mexico and quickly spread as far as Brazil, Eastern Europe and New York City as a way to allow children escape poverty. The program boosts the economy, with education building a skilled work force and some parents using their funds to start small businesses. The program is administered at the local level and funded by the central government, which raises two concerns: Some analysts point to the possibility of fraud as municipalities exaggerate poverty rates. Another concern is families depending on the program so much that it becomes a permanent fixture rather than a temporary mechanism aimed to eliminate poverty in a community. – YaleGlobal