81504
                  enGender Impact: The World Bank’s Gender Impact Evaluation Database



 The Impact of Providing Psycho-Social Support to Indigent Families and Increasing their
                  Access to Social Services: Evaluating Chile Solidario
      Author(s)            Pedro Carneiro, Emanuela Galasso, Rita Ginja
      Contact              egalasso@worldbank.org

      Country              Chile

  Organizing Theme         Economic Opportunities and Access to Assets, Voice and Agency

       Status              Ongoing

Intervention Category      Social Support

       Sector              Social Development
                           Chile Solidario (CHS) is an innovative poverty program which targets indigent families in
                           Chile. It attempts to lift families out of poverty through a coordinated set of stimulus to the
                           demand and supply of social services, and through the provision of psycho-social support
                           to beneficiary families. In this paper we analyze the short and medium term effectiveness of
                           this program using both administrative and survey data. We use a RD design, exploring the
                           fact that in order to be eligible a family must have a means-test score below a given cutoff,
                           which varies by municipality. We find that the program leads to increases the take-up of
      Abstract
                           subsidies and of employment programs. The impacts of CHS vary across families with
                           different characteristics, and located in different municipalities: the impact of the program
                           on the take up of subsidies is larger in municipalities with a better network of social
                           services, for families served by social workers with relatively low caseloads, and in male
                           headed families. The impact of the program on employment of spouse is larger in rural
                           areas and for families served by social workers with relatively low caseload. We were not
                           able to detect any positive impacts of CS on employment or income of the head.
 Gender Connection         Gender Informed Analysis

  Gender Outcomes          Gender disaggregated labor force participation, psychological agency

     IE Design             Regression Discontinuity and Difference in Difference
                           Chile Solidario has four components. 1. Intensive psycho-social support 2. There is a
                           conditional cash transfer program, but in practice, the condition does not apply 3. Families
    Intervention
                           are guaranteed all of the subsidies they are entitled to such as vaccines 4. Preferential access
                           to social services.
                           2002-Present; For each individual, the intensive psycho-social support lasts for 24 months
 Intervention Period
                           and cash transfers last for 24 months.
                           There were 6744 households surveyed in the Panel Chile Solidario, which was collected
                           specifically for evaluating the impact of the program. The panel is constructed from the
  Sample population
                           nationally representative household survey, and contains participants in the program and a
                           "suitable" comparison group.
                           For the regression discontinuity, the comparison is individuals who had a proxy-means test
Comparison conditions
                           just high enough to not qualify for the program.


   Last updated: 14 August 2013                                                                         1
                   enGender Impact: The World Bank’s Gender Impact Evaluation Database



    Unit of analysis        Individual

   Evaluation Period        2003-2007
                            The program increases the uptake of subsidies and employment programs. The impacts are
                            stronger for later cohorts; the effects range from 1.5-6 p.p. increase takeup in services.
        Results             However, there was no positive impact of the program on the employment of the HH
                            head, either male or female. The program does have a positive impact on the employment
                            of the spouse of the HH head.
Primary study limitations

    Funding Source          Spanish Impact Evaluation Fund
                            Carneiro, P., Galasso, E., & Ginja, R. (2009). The Impact of Providing Psycho-Social
      Reference(s)          Support to Indigent Families and Increasing their Access to Social Services: Evaluating
                            Chile Solidario.
    Link to Studies
                            http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctprcp/chile.pdf
       Microdata




    Last updated: 14 August 2013                                                                      2