Parental Preferences and Child Care Choices of Low-Income Families in Minnesota

Tuesday, October 22, 2013 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Elizabeth Davis, Department of Applied Economics, UMN

Dr. Elizabeth (“Liz”) Davis is a Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota, where she is engaged in graduate and undergraduate education and research focused on economics and public policy related to low-income families and young children. Current research projects include studies of the child care subsidy programs in several states, including Minnesota. Dr. Davis' October presentation focused on results from a longitudinal survey of low-income families in Minnesota, including the type of child care they select and how frequently changes in care arrangements occur for children under age 6. Analysis included how parents' preferences for different features of the care environment, use of child care assistance and employment schedules influence their child care choices and instability in child care arrangements. The research presented is in the process of publication and therefore not available for posting at this time. Please feel free to contact Dr. Davis directly for more information on her work.

Individual differences in the development of numerical thinking: Implications for supporting mathematics achievement in early and later childhood

Tuesday, September 16, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Michele Mazzocco, Professor, Institute of Child Development; and Research Director, Center for Early Education and Development, UMN

Dr. Mazzocco is an experimental psychologist and former classroom teacher, whose research interests focus primarily on cognitive development in early childhood. She has been particularly interested in the development of numeracy skills and how these and other cognitive skills affect and predict long-term mathematics achievement outcomes.

This presentation will include key findings from Michele's completed longitudinal study on the cognitive correlates of mathematics achievement from Grades K to 12, and preliminary findings from her research on young children's early number concepts.

Effects of Economic Conditions on Mental Health Outcomes for Children and Adolescents

Tuesday, October 21, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Ezra Golberstein, School of Public Health, UMN

An expansive literature studies the effects of economic conditions on health outcomes but ignores possible effects on children.  Among children, mental health outcomes have been shown to far exceed physical health outcomes as detriments to human capital accumulation and future labor market outcomes. We link state and metropolitan area-level unemployment data to household data on the health of children, including measures of children’s mental health. Within states and MSAs over time, child mental health status declines as economic conditions deteriorate. The deleterious effects of recessions on child mental health persist even in families less-likely to be affected directly by job loss.  We also find evidence that the use of early intervention and special education services for emotional problems rise when economic conditions worsen.  Our results suggest that the 2007-2009 Great Recession had an adverse effect on mental health equivalent to reducing family incomes by $5,000 per year.

For questions or further information please contact Ezra Golberstein at [email protected].

Risky Business: The Effects of Teacher Representation on Student Risk-Taking Behaviors

Tuesday, November 18, 2014 - 12:00pm to 1:30pm

Humphrey School of Public Affairs

Angela Fertig, Medica Research Institute

Angela Fertig is a Research Investigator at the Medica Research Institute and Adjunct Faculty in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Her research interests include health economics, maternal and child health, and health disparities. Dr. Fertig and her co-authors use data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to examine whether the presence of minority teachers reduces sexual activity, teen pregnancy, and poor birth outcomes among female students. They find that minority teachers reduce sexual activity among students from the same race/ethnicity with some spillover effects for white students. The evidence on the relationship between minority teachers and teen pregnancy and low birth weight births is mixed.

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