Social Work Commons^™

Financial Facts From The Seed For Oklahoma Kids Child Development Account Experiment, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

How does a Child Development Account (CDA) opened at a child’s birth shape their access to assets for higher education?

This Fact Sheet highlights findings from Financial Outcomes in a Child Development Account Experiment: Full Inclusion, Success Regardless of Race or Income, and Investment Growth for All (CSD Research Summary 21-06). Products of the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment, both the Fact Sheet and the Research Summary indicate that the automatic CDA in SEED OK greatly increases the likelihood that disadvantaged children have assets for their future education. When given a CDA structure and support for …

Environment And Health In Nigeria: Capacity And Research Development, Christine C. Ekenga, Lisa Reyes Mason, Adetoun Mustapha

Center for Social Development Research

In Africa, population growth, urbanization, and climate change are environmental health challenges of emerging concern. These challenges intersect in Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country. Because of gaps in research capacity, data collection, and research funding, data are lacking on extreme weather’s effects on health there.

This brief describes a project to promote the development of collaborative capacity and research in environmental epidemiology in Nigeria. The project will also produce new knowledge on the physical and mental health impacts of weather extremes among residents of Nigeria’s coastal cities, including Lagos, Africa’s most populous city. The project is designed to improve public …

Homegrown Stl 4th Annual Regional Summit On The State Of Opportunities For Black Boys And Young Men: Closing The Health, Growth, And Opportunity Gaps, Sean Joe, Maribeth Clifton, Demeisha Carlton-Brown

Center for Social Development Research

Convened annually, HomeGrown StL’s annual regional summit brings together service providers, government officials, private-sector partners, and residents to strengthen, align, and accelerate local collective-impact strategies that support the health, development, and economic mobility of Black boys and young men in St. Louis City and in St. Louis County.

This report summarizes developments from the 4th Regional Summit on the State of Opportunities for Black Boys and Young Men: Closing the Healing, Growth, & Opportunity Gaps, which convened June 3, 2021. Priority Objectives and Key Results developed during the summit are described. In addition, the report details the progress of HomeGrown …

Did Government Benefits Help Israeli Households Avoid Hardship During Covid-19? Evidence From A National Survey, Olga Kondratjeva, Talia Schwartz-Tayri, Sam Bufe, Stephen Roll, John Gal, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of Israel quickly introduced aggressive social distancing measures to curb the virus spread and adapted its unemployment insurance program in response to rising unemployment rates. This study examines the relationship between household income and the experience of material hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic in Israel, and investigates how the receipt of unemployment benefits moderated the relationship between income and material hardship. Using data from a household survey, we find a negative association between household income and the experience of material hardship. Moreover, middle-income households receiving unemployment benefits were more likely to …

Targeted Deposits In Pennsylvania’S Keystone Scholars Child Development Account Program, Anne Dececco, Julie Peachey, Margaret M. Clancy

Center for Social Development Research

In 2018, Pennsylvania became the first state to legislate a statewide, automatic CDA for all children at birth. In 2021, Pennsylvania achieved another first: an automatic targeted deposit within the Keystone Scholars program to build wealth for financially vulnerable children.

This brief examines two new targeted policy initiatives being piloted for Pennsylvania mothers who participate in WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The Bright Future Booster and Milestone pilots represent important steps in expanding the Keystone Scholars program and serving as models for other states. Pennsylvania Treasury and the PA 529 make this CDA policy …

Vaccine Hesitance During Covid-19: Exploring Motivations And Incentives, Laura Brugger

Social Policy Institute Research

As rates of vaccination have slowed, concerns are growing about how to increase vaccine uptake among those who are vaccine hesitant, particularly with the emergence of new and contagious variants such as Delta. Using our national Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey, we examine the predictors of vaccine hesitance in the U.S. and report on findings from an experiment assessing the potential impacts of vaccine incentive schemes.

Our study points to the difficulties in overcoming vaccine hesitance among the unvaccinated. Vaccine hesitance was common across income levels, and experience with COVID-19-related hardships—such as knowing someone who died of the disease or …

Paid Sick Leave Heading Into Covid-19: A Descriptive Account Of Workers Who Lacked Paid Sick Leave, David Rothwell, Sophia Fox-Dichter, Mathieu Despard, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

Paid sick leave is vital for controlling the spread of illness in the workplace and an invaluable public health tool, but too few workers have access to it. In this brief, we examine the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess paid sick leave coverage with a focus on the social and economic characteristics of workers without paid leave.

Using a nationally representative survey with roughly 4,000 working respondents, we found that a third lacked access to paid sick leave. Workers without paid leave were younger, more likely to be female, more likely to be white, and less likely to …

Expanded Child Tax Credit Payments Have Not Reduced Employment, Stephen Roll, Leah Hamilton, Yung Chun

Social Policy Institute Research

Approximately 60 million American children living in 35 million households are now receiving monthly payments from the federal government as part of the temporary Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. Recently, a debate has emerged over whether or not the expanded CTC will cause parents to leave the workforce. On one side of the debate, a large number of economists have argued that the CTC will not cause a reduction in employment. However, a recent study used a simulation approach to estimate that 2.6% of parents will exit the labor force as a result of the CTC.

The reports below address …

Housing Hardships During Covid-19, Sophia Fox-Dichter, Yung Chun, Stephen Roll, Katie Kristensen

Social Policy Institute Research

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. households were burdened by the cost of rental and mortgage payments, burdens which disproportionately fell on Black and Hispanic families. Using a 5-wave survey, we examined whether disparities in housing cost burden continued throughout the pandemic and trends in how households fell behind on rent and mortgage payments. We found that more than a third of households experienced housing cost burdens during the pandemic, with a slightly higher percentage of households of color bearing cost burdens than white households. Renters had greater cost burdens than homeowners.

During the pandemic, significantly more Black and …

Employment, Financial And Well-Being Effects Of The 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit: Wave 1 Executive Summary, Leah Hamilton, Stephen Roll, Mathieu Despard, Elaine Maag

Social Policy Institute Research

The 2021 temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is unprecedented in its reach and is predicted to cut American child poverty by more than half. The expanded CTC provides families with $3,600 for every child in the household under the age of six, and $3,000 for every child between the ages of six and 17. Almost all middle- and low-income families with children are eligible for the CTC. Married parents making less than $150,000 and single parents making less than $112,500 per year will receive the full amount of the credit, which begins to phase out slowly after …

The Socioeconomic Impacts Of Covid-19 Study: Survey Methodology Report, Stephen Roll, Sam Bufe, Yung Chun, Michal Grinstein-Weiss

Social Policy Institute Research

The Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey uniquely documents the social and economic impacts of a global pandemic as people experienced the global pandemic. These findings can inform social, economic and health policies now and in the future. Though the data from the survey are not publicly available, they are freely available on a limited basis to interested researchers. If you or your organization are interested in accessing the cleaned and coded survey data, or would like more information about the survey, please reach out to the Social Policy Institute at.

Utilization Patterns Of Community-Based Mental Health Services Among School-Going Adolescent Girls In Southwestern Uganda., William Byansi

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION

Globally an estimated 20% of children and adolescents experience a disabling mental illness (Belfer, 2008). Mental health disorders are the second leading cause of disease burden and the eleventh leading cause in older adolescents (15-19 years). Yet, children and adolescents are over-represented in low-resourced countries and settings often characterized by violence, wars, diseases, physical and sexual abuse, all of which are associated with poor mental health functioning (Kieling et al., 2011; Naker, 2005). Moreover, in LMICs the treatment gap is about 93% of individuals without access to mental health services with virtually no coverage of evidence-based …

Impact Of Care Practices On The Food Security And Nutritional Status Of Ethnic Minority Children With Work-Away Parents In Rural China, Yiqi Zhu

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Background and significance: Zero Hunger as the second Sustainable Development Goal builds crucial foundation to achieve other sustainable development goals and is a key approach to the Social Work Grand Challenges. In China, there is a huge gap between in nutritional well-being between urban and rural children. Among all the rural Children, ethnic minority children often live in the poverty-stricken regions have parents work away in urban regions. Their nutritional well-being is understudied. Improve the well-being of ethnic minorities children with work-away parents and closing the nutrition gaps of the rural and urban become the key for China to further …

Patterns And Trends Among Intimate Partner Homicide Cases: An Analysis By Victim’S Sex And Race/Ethnicity, Shih-Ying Cheng

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Data suggest sex and race/ethnicity disparities in intimate partner homicide (IPH) and different trends in the IPH rates over time by sex and racial/ethnic groups. It is, however, less clear how to explain the disparities using the existing literature. This dissertation investigates the patterns and trends among IPH cases with a focus on differences within and between victims’ sex and race/ethnicity subgroups using the National Violent Death Reporting System, Restricted Access Database (NVDRS-RAD). Data were linked to Census and policy data using the geographic indicator in the NVDRS-RAD. Latent class analysis (LCA) and mixed-effects modeling were performed to identify patterns …

Redesigning College Savings (529) Plans To Achieve Inclusive Child Development Accounts: A Policy Brief Developed By Cda Experts And Researchers, José Cisneros, Margaret M. Clancy, William Elliott Iii, Amanda Feinstein, Martha Kanter, Muneer Karcher-Ramos, Clint Kugler, Julie Peachey, Colleen Quint, Thomas M. Shapiro, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

In this policy brief, prominent Child Development Account (CDA) experts and researchers recommend changes in policies and practices for state college savings (529) plans. If adopted, the changes would make possible the use of the 529 plans to deliver CDAs for all children in the United States. In a companion brief, they present the case for a nationwide CDA policy and identify design principles.

The Case For A Nationwide Child Development Account Policy: A Policy Brief Developed By Cda Experts And Researchers, José Cisneros, Margaret M. Clancy, William Elliott Iii, Amanda Feinstein, Martha Kanter, Muneer Karcher-Ramos, Clint Kugler, Julie Peachey, Colleen Quint, Thomas M. Shapiro, Michael Sherraden

Center for Social Development Research

In this policy brief, prominent Child Development Account (CDA) experts and researchers present the case for a nationwide policy to provide CDAs and build assets for all children in the United States. The authors identify principles for CDA policy design. In a companion brief, they discuss policy and practice changes to make college savings (529) plans far more inclusive.

Reflections Of A Central Bank Governor, Ernest K. Addison

Center for Social Development Research

Central banks seldom play central roles in the strategies that researchers and practitioners formulate for fostering financial capability in marginalized populations, but in this Perspective, by Dr. Ernest Addison, Governor of the Bank of Ghana, illustrates that the work of those banks is “inextricably linked” to financial capability.

This Perspective presents remarks offered by Dr. Addison as part of the event marking the launch of Financial Capability and Asset Building in Africa (FCAB Africa). Participants gathered virtually for the start of this multinational collaboration in a session of the 22nd biennial conference of the International Consortium for Social Development, which …

Fcab Africa: Advancing Financial Stability, Security, And Well-Being, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

In sub-Saharan Africa, mobile phones and financial technology have opened doors to financial inclusion for millions, but the new financial terrain is uneven ground fraught with risks. High fees, aggressive marketing, mounting personal debt, varied digital access, and nascent regulatory structures heighten vulnerability and threaten hard-won progress toward broad financial inclusion. Financial Capability and Asset Building in Africa, or FCAB Africa, will equip human-service professionals to broaden financial stability, security, and well-being in sub-Saharan Africa, developing the financial capability of service populations and cultivating sound financial strategies. The initiative will also work with financial-service providers to create a comprehensive financial-development …

Lessons On Policies That Strengthen Household Financial Resilience To Overcome Shocks: A Keynote Address By Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President Of The Republic Of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia Phd

Center for Social Development Research

This Perspective presents remarks given by Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, on July 15, 2021. He delivered this keynote address during FCAB Africa: The Launch of a Multinational Collaboration, an event marking the beginning of the Financial Capability and Asset Building in Africa (FCAB Africa) initiative. Vice President Bawumia drew lessons from pandemic policy and issued a call to broaden access to beneficial financial services and the knowledge and skills required to make optimal financial decisions.

Fcab Africa: Summary Of Achievements As Of July 2021, Center For Social Development

Center for Social Development Research

Financial Capability and Asset Building in Africa (FCAB Africa) is a multinational collaboration designed (a) to equip human-service professionals to broaden the financial stability, security, and well-being of client populations in sub-Saharan Africa; and (b) to work with financial-service providers to create a comprehensive financial-development program delivered through existing services, including fintech. This Fact Sheet describes the goals of the FCAB Africa initiative and strategy for achieving them.

Financial Capability And Asset Building: Achievements, Challenges, And Next Steps, Johnson Lissa, Margaret S. Sherraden, Gena Gunn Mcclendon, Julie Birkenmaier, Jodi Frey, Christine Callahan, Jin Huang

Center for Social Development Research

In the midst of a global pandemic that brought untold numbers of families to a financial precipice, experts came together to examine the role of social work in ensuring financial security and equity for all. This conference report details the most recent of five Financial Capability and Asset Building (FCAB) conferences held since 2015. The two-part virtual conference, held in September 2020 and February 2021, convened leaders in the academy and in the field to discuss achievements, challenges, and next steps in FCAB.

Racism-Based Trauma And Policing Among Black Emerging Adults, Robert Motley

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Community violence exposure (CVE) among Black emerging adults ages 18-29 in the United States is a major public health concern. However, an unknown is the nature of the relationship between Black emerging adults CVE and substance use when the perpetrator(s) of the violence are the police and the violence is experienced as a race-based traumatic event. The Classes of Racism Frequency of Racial Experiences (CRFRE) measure assesses individuals’ exposure to perceived racism-based events. However, the CRFRE hostile-racism scale does not capture the range of police violent events that are most salient for a population. To fill the noted gaps in …

“I’M Not Dark, I’M Not Light… I’M Medium!”: The Colorism Experiences Of Adolescent African American Girls, Maya Williams

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

While colorism scholars often discuss the effects of skin tone bias on the lives of African American adults, Black youth are understudied. This mixed methods study analyzes the impacts skin tone bias and colorism have on African American girls’ self-concept, impression formation, affiliation with others, attraction to others, and interaction with their environment. This paper proposes a conceptual model that integrates four theoretical models (i.e., critical race theory, intersectionality theory, social identity theory, and skin tone theoretical model) to frame this research. Participants in this study range from ages 11-14 and attend school in Missouri. N=60 girls completed the quantitative …

The Relationships Between Stress, Psychosocial Resources, And Mental Health And Adherence Outcomes Among Perinatally Hiv-Infected Adolescents In South Africa, Thabani Nyoni

Brown School Theses and Dissertations

Adolescents living with perinatally acquired HIV (APHs) in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) constitute a significant population group that is experiencing poor HIV treatment outcomes (CIPHER Global Cohort Collaboration, 2018). Compared to younger children and older adults within the SSA sub-region, APHs experience poorer health outcomes, including retention in care, virologic treatment failure, and mortality rates (Anderson et al., 2019). Among countries in the SSA sub-region, South Africa has 360,000 adolescents living with HIV (ages 10-19), a disproportionate burden, accounting for 20% of the global adolescents living with HIV (UNAIDS, 2019a). The public health costs of suboptimal antiretroviral treatment (ART) adherence in …

Exploring The Service Utilization Of Formerly Incarcerated Persons With Substance Use Disorders, Sara Beeler-Stinn

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

We are in a new era of mass reentry from years of mass incarceration (Chamberlain & Wallace, 2016) that will is complicated by challenging conditions at release (Mallik-Kane & Visher, 2008). Recent data suggests that rearrest rates within nine years of release are over 80% among individuals released from prison (Alper et al., 2018). These challenges are further complicated by drug and alcohol abuse with over 20 million individuals aged 12 and older reporting living with a substance use disorder (SAMSHA, 2019). Incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations are estimated to have rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) often 10 to …

Examining Mental Health In Northern Haiti, Michael Galvin

Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Mental health is a severely neglected field in low- and middle-income countries globally. Populations in countries such as Haiti demonstrate a high level of need for mental health services despite a lack of services and trained professionals. In addition to the dearth of biomedical services, local belief systems and explanatory models lead a majority of the population to rely on traditional medicine as their first option for care. The goal of this dissertation is to characterize mental health beliefs, practices, and services in northern Haiti by examining the relationship between traditional beliefs and mental illness, assessing the impact of traumatic …

Building Financial Capability And Assets For Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs, Jin Huang, Baorong Guo

Center for Social Development Research

Low wages and material need motivates many to supplement income through entrepreneurship, and policymakers intervened to support such efforts in the COVID-19 economy. What lessons can these supports offer for ongoing efforts to support disadvantaged entrepreneurs? Using data from the 2018 National Financial Capability Study, this brief examines the income volatility and emergency savings of disadvantaged entrepreneurs. The findings suggest the potential of long-term policy mechanisms to improve financial security.

Systems Thinking Iceberg: Diving Beneath The Surface In Education Systems, Ebuwa I. Evbuoma, Min Hu, Allie Farrell, William Liem, Ellis Ballard

Social System Design Lab

The iceberg is a classic metaphor that is applied to many disciplines beyond systems thinking. The metaphor describes a situation in which what you see (the tip of the iceberg) is only a small portion of what you can’t see (a large, hidden mass of ice below the surface). In systems thinking, we use the iceberg metaphor to think about what is “under the surface” driving the individual events that we see: (1) Patterns of events over time, (2) System Structure that give rise to these patterns and, (3) Beliefs, Mindsets and Goals that inform the design of system structures. …

System Archetypes, Mikayla Branz, Allie Farrell, Min Hu, William Liem, Ellis Ballard

Social System Design Lab

K-12 education presents an incredibly complex system that makes solving problems challenging.

Often, we implement changes with the best of intentions, only to see problems get worse rather than better. Many of the structures that cause these patterns can be found all around us - in schools, in businesses, in non-profit organizations, in health systems, and in communities. By learning about these common structures or system archetypes, we can start to identify and anticipate them.

The purpose of this brief is to describe how education stakeholders can use system archetypes as a tool for recognizing, anticipating, and addressing the system …

Framing Dynamic Problems, Ebuwa I. Evbuoma, Allie Farrell, Min Hu, William Liem, Ellis Ballard

Social System Design Lab

No abstract provided.