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Friday November 20, 2009

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Children & Families

UPCOMING EVENT

Save to My PortfolioMama Says: A National Survey of Mothers’ Attitudes on Fathering

Tuesday, December 01, 2009
9:00 AM to 10:45 AM
Washington, DC

Mama Says: A National Survey of Mothers’ Attitudes on FatheringOn December 1, the National Fatherhood Initiative will release “Mama Says: A National Survey of Mothers’ Attitudes on Fathering” at an event sponsored by the Center on Children and Families at Brookings. The report shows that mothers say stable, well-functioning marriages are extremely important to good fathering, yet over half of mothers say fathers are replaceable by single mothers and nearly two-thirds of mothers say that fathers are replaceable by other men. Read More

Marriage and Family Formation, Children & Families

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioEncouraging Marriage Helps Everyone

Ron Haskins, November 05, 2009, Business Week

Can marriage decrease poverty? Higher marriage rates among the poor would benefit poor adults themselves, their children and the nation, says Ron Haskins. He argues that non-coercive programs that are delivered by community-based agencies can be effective. By helping couples who want to marry, the payoff to them, their children and society is potentially enormous. Read More

Children & Families, Marriage and Family Formation, Social Issues, Social Norms

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSpending on Children and the Elderly

Julia B. Isaacs, November 05, 2009, The Brookings Institution

The United States spends 2.4 times as much on the elderly as on children, measured on a per capita basis, with the ratio rising to 7 to 1 if looking just at the federal budget, Julia Isaacs finds. She looks at expenditures on children and the elderly in the United States compared to other countries and, from a life-cycle perspective, asks whether these spending patterns makes sense for the long-term good of our country. Read More

Children & Families, Welfare, U.S. Poverty

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioFive Myths About Our Land of Opportunity

Isabel V. Sawhill and Ron Haskins, November 01, 2009, The Washington Post

Five Myths About Our Land of OpportunityAmericans have always believed that their country is unique in providing the opportunity to get ahead. Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill deconstruct five myths about economic mobility in the United States, saying that we need better policies to help create a true opportunity society. Read More

Economic Mobility, Children & Families, U.S. Poverty, U.S. Economy

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioHealth Care and Health Insurance for Childhood Disorders

Friday, October 23, 2009
9:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Washington, DC

On October 23, Brookings host eda discussion featuring a group of individuals committed to the cause of childhood health care. In particular, the discussion focused on health care and insurance coverage for autism spectrum disorders and vascular birthmark issues, which together affect over two million Americans. Read More

Health Care, Children & Families

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioIs the American Dream a Myth?

Ron Haskins and Isabel V. Sawhill, October 19, 2009

Despite its status as one of the world’s leading economies, the United States is faced with high poverty rates and less economic opportunity than many other affluent countries. Senior Fellows Isabel Sawhill and Ron Haskins, argue that it will take a combination of personal responsibility along with smarter and better-targeted government policies to make the American Dream a reality for children and families now stuck at the bottom.

Children & Families, Income Distribution, Social Norms, Social Issues, U.S. Economic Growth

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioPreventing Child Maltreatment

Thursday, October 01, 2009
9:15 AM to 11:15 AM
Washington, DC

The Obama administration has proposed a new initiative that would fund home-visiting programs in which trained professionals visit new mothers in their homes to provide advice and assistance with child rearing and related topics. On October 1, The Future of Children, a joint project between Princeton University and Brookings, released a new edition of the journal, “Preventing Child Maltreatment,” at an event featuring Representative Jim McDermott and former Representative Nancy Johnson to discuss this and related programs. Read More

Children & Families

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSocial Science Rising: A Tale of Evidence Shaping Policy

Ron Haskins, Christina Paxson and Jeanne Brooks-Gunn , October 01, 2009, Future of Children Policy Brief

In this policy brief, a companion to the volume of The Future of Children devoted to child maltreatment prevention, the authors examine evaluations of home-visiting programs designed to improve parenting and reduce child maltreatment and how policy makers are using social science evidence to identify and support successful programs. Read More

Children & Families, Courts, U.S. Poverty, Public Health

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioCan Parent Training Reduce Abuse, Enhance Development, and Save Money?

Richard P. Barth and Ron Haskins, October 01, 2009, The Future of Children Policy Brief

This policy brief, a companion to the volume of The Future of Children devoted to child maltreatment prevention, the authors examine evaluations of home-visiting programs designed to improve parenting and reduce child maltreatment and how policy makers are using social science evidence to identify and support successful programs. Read More

Children & Families, Courts, Public Health, U.S. Poverty

BOOK

Save to My PortfolioCreating an Opportunity Society

Ron Haskins and Isabel V. Sawhill, September 15, 2009

Creating an Opportunity Society examines economic opportunity in the United States and explores how to create more of it, particularly for those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. Read More

Economic Mobility, Children & Families, Education, Federal Budget, Marriage and Family Formation

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioPoverty and Income in 2008: A Look at the New Census Data and What the Numbers Mean

Thursday, September 10, 2009
2:30 PM to 4:00 PM
Washington, DC

On September 10, the day the U.S. Census Bureau releases its new report on poverty and family income for 2008, the Brookings Center on Children and Families held its seventh annual briefing to discuss the new figures and their implications for families and policymakers. Read More

U.S. Poverty, Income Distribution, Children & Families, Unemployment

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioKids with Autism Deserve Better

Michael E. O'Hanlon and Marc Thiessen, August 19, 2009, USA Today

Michael O'Hanlon and Marc Thiesen write that school vouchers could free special needs students from a public education system that is ill-equipped or unwilling to serve them. They also believe health reform must ensure that insurance will cover well-documented associated with autism. Read More

Children & Families, Education, Health Care

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Sequence of Personal Responsibility

Ron Haskins, July 31, 2009, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

The Sequence of Personal ResponsibilityRon Haskins discusses personal responsibility and the three areas of personal decision-making in which the nation’s youth and young adults most need to learn and practice personal responsibility: education, sexual behavior and marriage, and work. Read More

Children & Families, Social Issues, Quality-of-Life Issues, Marriage and Family Formation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioA New Goal for America’s High Schools: College Preparation for All

Ron Haskins and James Kemple, May 14, 2009, The Future of Children

A New Goal for America’s High Schools: College Preparation for AllIn this policy brief, a companion to the volume of The Future of Children devoted to high school reforms, Ron Haskins and James Kemple examine the steps high schools should take to help low-income students prepare for and succeed in college. Specifically, they argue, high schools should boost students’ subject matter knowledge and study skills and counsel students on how to select colleges and obtain financial aid. Read More

Education, U.S. Higher Education, Children & Families, Urban and Inner-city Schools, Economic Mobility

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioPromoting Economic Mobility by Increasing Postsecondary Education

Ron Haskins, Harry Holzer and Robert Lerman, May 12, 2009, The Pew Charitable Trusts

Promoting Economic Mobility by Increasing Postsecondary EducationMany low-income students miss out on college because they don’t know how much it actually costs or how to get access to billions of dollars in financial aid, says Ron Haskins. That’s why improving the equality of educational opportunity—a traditional American value—is one key to promoting economic mobility for disadvantaged students. Read More

Education, Economic Mobility, Children & Families, Social Issues, U.S. Higher Education

Featured Experts

Julia B. Isaacs

Julia B. Isaacs

Child and Family Policy Fellow, Economic Studies

Julia Isaacs focuses on public investments in children and how children are affected by national budgetary policies. A former federal budget analyst, she also researches the economic mobility of children and families across the income spectrum.
Read More

Ron Haskins

Ron Haskins

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies

A former White House and congressional advisor on welfare issues, Ron Haskins co-directs the Brookings Center on Children and Families. An expert on preschool, foster care, and poverty—he was instrumental in the 1996 overhaul of national welfare policy.
Read More

Isabel V. Sawhill

Isabel V. Sawhill

Senior Fellow, Economic Studies
The Cabot Family Chair

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.
Read More

View All Experts on Children & Families »

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Spotlight

ExpertFederiga Bindi

Federiga Bindi is a leading expert on European political integration. She has a broad experience in government and held a number of posts in international organizations. Bindi currently serves as an advisor to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Her research focuses on the EU, transatlantic relations; EU states foreign policies, global governance issues.

ExpertTed Gayer

Ted Gayer is the co-director of the Economic Studies program and the Joseph A. Pechman Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. He conducts research on a variety of economic issues, focusing particularly on public finance, environmental and energy economics, housing, and regulatory policy.

TopicEducation

The economic and political well-being of any society requires a well-educated citizenry. Brookings’s work extends beyond the K-12 bookends to include pre-school interventions, higher education and the challenges of education in developing countries.

Policy CenterEngelberg Center for Health Care Reform

The Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform provides practical solutions to achieve high-quality, innovative, affordable health care with particular emphasis on identifying opportunities on the national, state and local levels.

TopicHealth Care

Brookings is committed to producing innovative policy solutions to our nation’s most difficult challenges. The country may face no more important domestic policy challenge than the much-needed reform of our health care system. Through an institution-wide effort, Brookings delivers new ideas and offers policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

ExpertMwangi S. Kimenyi

Mwangi S. Kimenyi is a senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative. He focuses on Africa's development, including institutions for economic growth, the political economy, and private sector development.

Policy CenterCenter on Children and Families

The Center on Children and Families studies policies on the well-being of America's children and their parents and seeks a more effective means of addressing poverty, inequality and lack of opportunity in the United States.

ExpertAmy Liu

Amy Liu is deputy director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program. Her policy studies include economic competitiveness, metropolitan growth and development, governance reforms, urban reinvestment, and social equity.

ExpertVanda Felbab-Brown

Vanda Felbab-Brown focuses on the national security implications of illicit economies and strategies for managing them. She is an adjunct professor in the Security Studies Program at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.

ExpertDomenico Lombardi

As president of the Oxford Institute for Economic Policy, Domenico Lombardi’s work at Brookings focuses on the international financial crisis and the reform of the IMF and the World Bank. He is an expert on G-20 and G8 Summits.

ExpertSuzanne Maloney

Suzanne Maloney studies Iran, the political economy of the Persian Gulf and Middle East energy policy. A former U.S. State Department policy advisor, she has also counseled private companies on Middle East issues.

ExpertMark McClellan

Mark McClellan works on promoting high-quality, innovative and affordable health care. Once commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Dr. McClellan now directs the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform.

ProgramGovernance Studies

Governance Studies explores political institutions of the United States and other democracies to assess how they govern, how their practices compare and how citizens and public servants can advance sound governance.

Research ProjectBrookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

The Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement monitors displacement problems worldwide, works with governments, regional bodies, international organizations and civil society to create more effective policies and institutional arrangements for Internally Displaed Persons.

Research ProjectLatin America Initiative

The Latin America Initiative provides high-quality, in-depth, and independent research across a range of economic and political issues, and offers policy recommendations aimed at U.S. and Latin American policymakers.

ExpertIsabel V. Sawhill

A nationally known budget expert, Isabel Sawhill focuses on domestic poverty and federal fiscal policy. She is also co-director of the Center on Children and Families at Brookings.