For many, the logic seemed unassailable: Giving poor families money would measurably improve the lives of their children. And so a few years ago, social scientists set out to test whether that assumption was right.

The results of the experiment have shocked them.

Guest: Jason DeParle, a Times reporter who covers poverty in the United States.

Background reading:

A rigorous experiment appears to show that monthly checks intended to help disadvantaged children did little for their well-being.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

Photo: Andrew Seng for The New York Times

Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More Money Was Supposed to Help Poor Kids. So Why Didn’t It?

The Daily

More Money Was Supposed to Help Poor Kids. So Why Didn’t It?