Effects of Mother’s vs. Father’s Control of Money on Child Wellbeing

Catherine T. Kenney, Bowling Green State University

Although developing-country research has found that spending on children's food, healthcare, and education varies depending on which parent controls income, developed-country research on child wellbeing tends to ignore intrahousehold allocation. This study uses data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 1,073 couples) to analyze how mothers' versus fathers' control of money affects parental investments in children and child outcomes in the United States. I find some kinds of investments in children vary by whether their mothers or their fathers control household income, but this varies depending on the type of investment or child outcome.