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September 4 – 5, 2003
Georgetown University Conference Center
Washington, DC

Conference main page | Agenda and conference papers

Agenda

DAY 1 September 4

9:00 am - 10:00 am Registration & continental breakfast

10:00am: Welcome and Opening Remarks

Rebecca Blank, National Poverty Center co-Director

Don Winstead, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Human Services

THEME 1: FAMILY STRUCTURE AND CHILD WELL-BEING AMONG LOW INCOME COUPLES

10:30-12:00
Session 1: Family Structure and Children's Well-Being

Changes in Family Structure and Child Well-Being
Gregory Acs and Sandi Nelson, The Urban Institute

Marriage or Partnering? Effects of Cohabitation and Family Structure Changes on Child and Adolescent Well-Being
Heather Bachman, Northwestern University; Rebekah Levine Coley, Boston University; Lindsey Chase-Lansdale, Northwestern University

Differences Between Young Children Born to Married and Cohabiting Parents in Behavioral Outcomes
Cynthia Osborne, Princeton University; Sara McLanahan, Princeton University; Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Center for Children and Families

 

Discussants: Ariel Kalil (University of Chicago); Kristin Moore (Child Trends)

12:00- 1:00 Lunch

Speaker: Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (invited)

1:00 - 1:15pm BREAK

1:15 - 2:45pm
Session 2: Fathers: Implications for Child Well-Being

Are Stepfathers Bad for Children?
Sandra Hofferth, University of Maryland

Other than the Drug Problem, He is a Good Father
Petrice Sams-Abiodun, Loyola University New Orleans; Laura Sanchez, Bowling Green State University

Unmarried but not Absent: Fathers' Involvement With Children After a Nonmarital Birth
Marcia Carlson, Columbia University; Sara McLanahan, Princeton University; Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University

Discussants: Lauren Rich (Chapin Hall Center for Children, University of Chicago), Wendell Primus (U.S. Senate, Joint Economic Committee)

2:45- 3:00pm BREAK

THEME 2: UNION FORMATION AND DISSOLUTION PROCESSES

3:00- 4:30 pm
Session 3: Marriage, Cohabitation, and Union Dissolution Among Low Income Parents

Marriage and Cohabitation Transitions Among Unwed Mothers: Implications for Marriage Promotion Policies
Heather Koball, Columbia University

Perceptions of Divorce as a Barrier to Marriage
Maureen Waller and Elizabeth Peters, Cornell University

The Determinants of Marriage and Cohabitation Among Disadvantaged Americans: Research Findings and Needs
David Fein, Nancy R. Burstein, Greta Fein and Laura Lindberg, Abt Associates

Discussants: Wendy Manning (Bowling Green University); Daniel Lichter (Ohio State University)

4:30 - 6:00 pm

Reception

 

DAY 2, September 5

7:15 am - 8:15 am Continental Breakfast

8:15 - 9:45am
Session 4: The Ties that Bind: Influences on Couple Relationships

Love and Distrust among Unmarried Parents
Kathryn Edin and Paula England, Northwestern University

Stability in Jobs and Marriage: How Are They Related?
Avner Ahituv, Hebrew University; Robert Lerman, The Urban Institute

Domestic Abuse and Patterns of Marriage and Cohabitation: Insights from a Multi-Method Study
Andrew Cherlin, Johns Hopkins University; Linda Burton and Tera Hurt, Pennsylvania State University; Diane Purvin, Brandeis University

Discussants: Scott Stanley (University of Denver); Alan Hawkins (Brigham Young University)

9:45- 10:00am BREAK

 

THEME 3: WELFARE POLICIES AND FAMILY FORMATION INTERVENTIONS

10:00 - 11:30am
Session 5: Welfare Policies and Family Formation

Staying Single: The Effects of Welfare Reform Policies on Marriage and Cohabitation
Lisa Gennetian, Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation

Welfare Participation and Marriage
Julien Teitler, Nancy E. Reichman, Lenna Nepomnyaschy, and Irwin Garfinkel, Columbia University

Marriage Patterns of TANF Recipients: Evidence from New Jersey
Robert Wood, Anu Rangarajan, and John Deke, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Discussants: Maria Cancian (University of Wisconsin); David Ribar (George Washington University)

11:30 - 12:45pm Lunch and Policy Panel (Panel starts at noon)
Mary Parke, Center for Law and Social Policy. Mary Parke's remarks were based on this CLASP report.

Pam Jordan, The Becoming Parents Program

Robert Rector, The Heritage Foundation

12:45 - 1:00pm  BREAK

1:00 - 2:30pm
Session 7: Family Formation Interventions

Systematic Review of the Impact of Marriage and Relationship Programs
Matt Stagner, Jennifer Ehrle, Kathleen Kortenkamp and Jane Reardon-Anderson, The Urban Institute

How Can We Nurture the Bonds Between Unwed Parents and Improve Chances for Children's Healthy Development (1.5M)
Robin Dion, Barbara Devaney and Alan Hershey, Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.

Can Covenant Marriage Foster Marital Stability Among Low-Income, Fragile Newlyweds?
Laura Sanchez, Bowling Green State University; Steve Nock, University of Virginia; Jill Deines, Bowling Green State University; James Wright, Central Florida University

 

Discussants: Doug Besharov (American Enterprise Insititute/University of Maryland); Virginia Knox (MDRC)

2:30 - 2:45pm BREAK

2:45 - 4:00pm
Closing: Where Do We Go From Here?
What Research Do We Need to Know to Move Policy Forward?
Panel and Participant Discussion

Panel:

Naomi Goldstein, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families;

Ron Mincy, Columbia University;

Steve Nock, University of Virginia;

Frank Furstenburg, University of Pennsylvania