Safety Net for the Poor: The Role of Conditional Cash Grant Programs

The strategy of the Bolsa Escola cash grant program in Brazil and the Progresa program in Mexico are discussed as well as contrasting strategies in after-school programs such as the PETI program in rural Brazil. Evaluations of these programs and lessons learned are addressed in the final section. This presentation was commissioned by the Poverty Reduction and Social Protection Network of the Regional Policy Dialogue for the 6th Hemispheric Meeting celebrated on December 9th and 10th, 2003.