Educational Financing

No More $100 Handouts for Going to the Dentist

By Brad Tuttle | @bradrtuttle | March 31, 2010 | +

Apparently, paying people cash to do things they should be doing—like attending school, keeping a job, and going to the dentist—isn’t all that effective.

A New York City program that gave cash incentives for such behavior didn’t work as planned, and so the days of high school students getting as much as $600 to pass a Regents exam are over. From the NY Times:

An unusual and much-heralded program that gave poor families cash to encourage good behavior and self-sufficiency has so far had only modest effects on their lives and economic situation, according to an analysis the Bloomberg administration released on Tuesday.

The three-year-old pilot project, the first of its kind in the country, gave parents payments for things like going to the dentist ($100) or holding down a full-time job ($150 per month). Children were rewarded for attending school regularly ($25 to $50 per month) or passing a high school Regents exam ($600).

Related Topics: dentist, families & children, New York City, Educational Financing

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  • http://thewhispererindarkness.wordpress.com jordboost

    That really is amazing to see that cash incentives are not going to be the best thing to motivate people to do the things that they need to. I think giving praise and a pat on the back can go a long way and be more effective in boosting someones confidence than getting just cash. That is me though, I dont know if that is how everyone else feels. Money is a great thing, but in the end you don’t get to take that with you when you die. http://www.gentledentalnj.net

  • http://frankfurrter.wordpress.com frankfurrter

    That’s too bad that they stopped with the $100 handouts. I was hoping they were going to give handouts for vacuuming my living room and doing the dishes next. http://www.jeppsondental.com

  • http://harrydresden.wordpress.com harrydresden

    Just goes to show you that free cash isn’t the way to go. Americans need to take responsibility for their lives, rather than complaining and whining about what they have to do while kids in Iraq are starving. We’re becoming the Home of the Lazy and the Land of the Fast Food, and it’s showing. http://www.bouldindds.com

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