In this paper, we aim to understand maternal perspectives on: (1) COVID-19 pandemic learning impacts for kindergartners from low-income households; and (2) Factors that mitigated or exacerbated impacts on learning. We conducted a qualitative study with 22 mothers of low-income households in the United States who had kindergarten-age children.…

We examine the initial post-college geographic location decisions of students from hometowns in the Appalachian region that often lack substantial high-skilled job opportunities, focusing on the role of non-pecuniary considerations. Novel survey questions in the spirit of the contingent valuation approach allow us to measure the full non-pecuniary…

During the COVID-19 pandemic the federal government enacted an unprecedented package of social safety net measures, including broad-based cash transfers in the form of expanded unemployment insurance (UI), a series of economic impact payments (EIPs), and the expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC). It is well known that these measures-- especially the…

Recessions may disproportionally affect school districts, especially with established fiscal institutions and policies including balanced budget requirements, tax and expenditure limitations, and school finance reforms. Analyzing the Great Recession and school districts in the United States between 2003 and 2016, we estimated…

Objective: To explore Central American men's perceptions of healthy body weight, factors that influence weight gain and increase awareness of being overweight/obese, consequences of excess weight gain and gender similarities and differences in body weight. Design: In-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with low-income, overweight or obese…

This study explored Extension nutrition educators' (NEs) perceptions of community members' challenges and opportunities for achieving a healthy lifestyle. NEs represented various communities with low income across nine states. NEs across locations identified similar barriers (i.e., lack of access and availability of healthy and affordable foods;…

Background: Summer camp is an experiential learning setting that supports youth development. Due to high fees, youth from low-income backgrounds often have fewer opportunities to attend. Subsequently, there is little literature about these youth's camp experiences. Purpose: This research examined growth and the characteristics supporting growth in…

This paper applies Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as well as data analysis to gain a better understanding of the existing perception on the education system. 45,278 tweets were downloaded and processed. Using a lexicon-based approach, examining the most frequently used words, and estimating similarities between terms, we detected…

Natural experiments are often used for answering research questions in which randomization is implausible. Effective recruitment strategies are well documented for observational cohort studies and clinical trials, unlike recruitment methods for time-sensitive natural experiments. In this time-sensitive study of the impact of a minimum wage policy,…

This original paper, based on data from the Erasmus+Blurred Lives Project, presents a new multi-dimensional categorisation model to describe negative online experiences, including forms of cyberbullying, based on a study of internet usage among over N = 2,500 adolescents with lower socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds across five European…

Background: Home-visiting programs are an often-used intervention for supporting the well-being of families with young children, and there is long-standing interest among researchers in ensuring the effectiveness of this practice. Especially, retention and attrition play important roles in achieving desired outcomes of the intervention. Objective:…

This paper examines the incidence of the cost burden associated with expanding public health insurance to low-income adults in the context of the Affordable Care Act. Using data from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS), I exploit exogenous variation in Medicaid eligibility rules across states, income groups and time. I find that public…

Much of modern education has focused on developing individuals' skills to be productive parts of society. The developed skills can become enablers of financial stability, independence and economic security. Yet, on a relative basis, considerably less effort is expended on building the financial skills for individuals to preserve their wealth and…

There exists a huge chasm between child care options available to families whose children are typically developing and those whose children have identified disabilities or developmental delays. The intersecting identities of race, disability status, and socioeconomic status compound to make the current child care options inadequate to meet the…

Given the prevalence of mental health challenges in children and the significant time they spend in school, teachers play a critical role in identifying and addressing the socio-emotional needs of their students. This instrumental case study consulted a group of 14 school personnel (eight teachers, four resource teachers, and two administrators)…