How effective are conditional cash transfers? Evidence from Colombia

This briefing note, published by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, examines the impacts of Familias en Acción (FA), a programme implemented in Colombia in 2001/02. The programme involved giving cash to families with children on the condition that the children attended health check-ups (if they were under 5) or school (if they were aged 6-17). The note finds that the programme considerably increased household consumption, particularly consumption of protein-rich food as well as of children’s clothes and footwear.

Other findings include that FA increased the school attendance of 12- to 17-year-olds, increased the proportion of children with receiving health care visits, and improved the nutritional status of younger children. However, there was no effect on school attendance of children aged 8-11, probably because attendance of this group was already very high. Similarly the programme does not seem to have affected the nutritional status of older children. The authors attribute this partly to the presence of other nutritional programmes in the community, and partly to the fact that the FA programme was relatively new.