More than one in three American children live in households with incomes <150% of the federal poverty level. Experiencing childhood poverty can have profound negative impacts on children’s health. Non-directed cash transfer programs, such as the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (eCTC), have demonstrated promise in reducing child poverty. However, it remains unclear how these programs should be designed to ensure that reductions in poverty translate into improved child health. In this viewpoint, we describe how non-directed cash transfer programs influence the dynamics of child poverty, highlight pathways by which poverty reduction programs could improve child health, and provide suggested directions for future research and policy.