Child Benefit Tracker

PodcastsApril 20, 2025

Why we must sustain financing for Universal Child Benefits in a challenging global fiscal context

Yolande Wright, Vice President for Partnerships at GiveDirectly outlines the imperative for universal child benefits in today's challenging global fiscal context. Despite financial constraints, investing in child benefits yields significant long-term societal gains, offering a foundation for a more equitable and resilient future.

AUTHORS Yolande Wright, David Lambert Tumwesigye

In this episode of the Child Benefits Podcast, David Lambert Tumwesigye hosts Yolande Wright, Vice President for Partnerships at GiveDirectly to explore strategies for financing universal child benefits in a challenging global fiscal context. The episode delves into the challenges of public resource allocation in a world facing high debt and declining aid, emphasizing the importance of cash transfers in reducing child poverty.

Yolande shares the evidence behind child benefits and their wide-reaching impacts including lessons from from their work with Save the Children on the Maziko project in Malawi and GiveDirectly's Rx Kids a Cash Allowance Programme in Flint, Michigan. She highlights innovative approaches such as use of technology for poverty assessment and mobile money payments.

On the eve of the World Bank Spring Meetings 2025, with huge fiscal challenges facing many governments, Yolande argues that investing in children should remain a priority.

Tune in.

AUTHORS

Yolande Wright

Yolande Wright is Vice President for Partnerships at GiveDirectly. Until 2023, she was Global Director Child Poverty, Climate and Urban at Save the Children International. She has rich international Development experience including over 20 years at the now defunct U.K. Department for International Development.

David Lambert Tumwesigye

David is the Global Policy & Advocacy Lead on child poverty at Save the Children International. With over 20 years’ experience is a social protection policy influencing, he hosts the Child Benefits Podcast- facilitating insightful conversation with policy makers and practitioners, civil society advocates and thought leaders to advance child-sensitive social protection.