Rachel Sheffield is research fellow in welfare and family policy in the Center for Health and Welfare Policy at The Heritage Foundation. Read her research.
View all authorsEconomyCommentary
A large majority of Americans no longer think it’s affordable to raise children. According to data from the 2025 American Family Survey, 71% of participants… Read More
EconomyCommentary
Means-tested welfare is the third-largest segment of federal spending, only outranked by Social Security and Medicare. The U.S. welfare system has been growing for decades,… Read More
SocietyAnalysis
The U.S. birth rate has been on a downward slide since the Great Recession. In 2024, the total fertility rate went up slightly though, but… Read More
SocietyCommentary
In his remarks at the March for Life in January, Vice President JD Vance declared his support for children and families. “I want more babies… Read More
SocietyCommentary
It seems reasonable that a program designed to assist those with low incomes should go only to low-income households. But the Biden-Harris administration is using… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Are cities required to allow the homeless to sleep on public property? This month, the Supreme Court is expected to rule in a case that… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Fewer Americans are planning to celebrate Valentine’s Day in 2024 than in years past. America isn’t totally losing its love for the saccharine holiday, though…. Read More
EconomyCommentary
The federal government has more than 90 welfare and workforce programs spread across dozens of federal agencies, with funding flowing to thousands of state and local… Read More
SocietyCommentary
A large percentage of Americans don’t know or outright disagree that marriage builds stronger families and is linked to better well-being for children, according to… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Utah just celebrated the 25th anniversary of its healthy marriages initiative, a statewide effort to help people build and maintain strong marriages. There’s a great… Read More
EconomyCommentary
House Republicans released their budget resolution last week, and the proposal takes some important steps to advance reforms in welfare programs. One of the ways… Read More
SocietyCommentary
The farm bill is up for reauthorization this year. But despite its name, the vast majority of spending in the farm bill goes to the… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in 2014, and is being republished in light of the announcement that American actress Meghan Markle is engaged… Read More
EducationCommentary
A Washington Post article argues that a recently implemented federal school meals policy, the Community Eligibility Provision, is largely responsible for increased participation of low-income… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Children born to unmarried, cohabiting parents—both in the United States and across Europe—are nearly twice as likely to see their parents split up, compared to… Read More
EducationCommentary
Last year, both the House and Senate introduced bills to reauthorize child nutrition programs, but reauthorization ultimately stalled by the end of 2016. This is… Read More
SocietyCommentary
On Tuesday, the Census Bureau released its annual poverty report declaring that 43.1 million Americans lived in poverty in 2015. We should be concerned about… Read More
SocietyCommentary
According to a recently released study from the American Enterprise Institute, 82 percent of lower-middle-class families with young children face “marriage penalties” in the welfare… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Several states have grappled with welfare reform. A few states that have incorporated work requirements have seen encouraging outcomes that should provide a blueprint for… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Twenty years after the welfare reform of 1996, House leadership is once again turning attention to policy for fighting poverty. Reforming the massive welfare system,… Read More
EconomyCommentary
This week, the House is expected to markup its child nutrition bill, which covers programs such as school meals. The last child nutrition bill–the Healthy,… Read More
Economy Commentary
Abraham Lincoln once said, “No country can sustain, in idleness, more than a small percentage of its numbers. The great majority must labor at something… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Newspaper headlines have been bemoaning that more states will now have to require adults on food stamps—who are able-bodied and without dependents—to work. Since 2009,… Read More
SocietyCommentary
According to a new Associated Press/NORC poll, 72 percent of Americans rate “reducing poverty” as “extremely” or “very important.” This includes 62 percent of Republicans,… Read More
SocietyCommentary
In honor of National Marriage Week, consider this question: Does marriage impact the economic well-being of societies? One of the most important answers to the… Read More
EconomyCommentary
One trillion dollars—that’s how much the government spent last year on means-tested welfare aid, providing cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor… Read More
EducationCommentary
The Senate is at work on reauthorizing child nutrition programs. Last week, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed by voice vote its child nutrition legislation that… Read More
SocietyCommentary
“This administration today, here and now, declares unconditional war on poverty in America.” – President Lyndon B. Johnson, State of the Union address, January 8,… Read More
SocietyCommentary
Is there a connection between strong families and a thriving economy? A new study, “Strong Families, Prosperous States,” takes a step toward answering the question. “Despite… Read More
SocietyCommentary
A thriving society needs a strong economy. The reverse is just as true: A healthy economy is built on a vibrant culture that promotes individual… Read More
