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The Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is a center for interdisciplinary research into the causes and consequences of poverty and inequality and the impact of related policies and programs. As the National Poverty Research Center sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, IRP coordinates the U.S. Collaborative of Poverty Centers in an integrated set of activities with the ultimate goal of improving the effectiveness of public policies to reduce poverty and inequality and their impacts on the well-being of the American people.

2012–2013 IRP Webinar Series

IRP places a high priority on making knowledge and information available to interested parties. In addition to our on campus seminar series, IRP has established a new series of interactive online seminars designed to more broadly disseminate current research on poverty and social inequality in the United States.

April 30, 2013, 1:00–2:00 pm (Central Time)

The Role of Economic Support in Child Maltreatment Prevention, Kristen Shook Slack
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A large volume of research exists on the relationship between poverty and child maltreatment, yet we still know very little about the exact nature of this association. Does poverty play a causal role in child maltreatment or is there an alternative explanation for this persistent relationship? Are there specific features or aspects of poverty that heighten child maltreatment risk? And, if there is a causal influence of poverty, does providing economic support to low-income families reduce the risk of child maltreatment? In this webinar, we will review the theories that may explain the long-standing association between poverty and child maltreatment, identify the ways in which poverty may heighten maltreatment risk, and also review the research on the influence of economic supports on reducing maltreatment outcomes. A critical question in the child maltreatment prevention world is: How much prevention can we achieve by addressing the economic stress of low-income families at risk for child maltreatment? The answer to this question has important implications for the design of maltreatment prevention strategies, which historically have tended to focus heavily on changing parenting behaviors through parent education and skill-building.

February 20, 2013, 1:00–2:00 pm (Central Time)

Reducing Poverty through Early Childhood Interventions, Katherine Magnuson
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The third webinar in the series, Reducing the Effect of Poverty through Early Childhood Interventions, will be presented by Katherine Magnuson from the UW–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty. This webinar will discuss current theory and evidence about how poverty affects young children, and will discuss policy and programmatic responses that improve the life chances of poor children. Special emphasis will be given to the role of Early Childhood Education

November 28, 2012, 1:00–2:00 pm (Central Time)

Disadvantaged Men as Fathers, Lonnie Berger
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The second webinar in the series, Disadvantaged Men as Fathers, will be presented by Lonnie Berger from the UW–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty. The role of men in families has changed over the past several decades; at the same time, the structure of families has become increasingly diverse. While fathers once primarily served as family providers, their role now includes a wide range of child-rearing activities, and they are much more likely to be actively engaged in children's care. In addition, the father figures in children's lives may include nonresident biological fathers and resident social fathers (men who are married to or living with children's mothers) as well as resident biological fathers. Children born to disadvantaged parents are particularly likely to experience multiple types of father figures. This webinar will review current theory and empirical evidence regarding young disadvantaged men's involvement with children to whom they are (resident or nonresident) biological or social fathers. Specifically, it will provide a brief overview of the current and historical role of the father in child rearing, describe the characteristics of men who become young fathers, summarize the empirical literature on both antecedents of fathers' involvement and patterns of involvement across father types, examine limitations of existing research, and draw implications for future research and policy.

September 19, 2012, 1:00–2:00 pm (Central Time)

The Implications of Complex Families for Poverty and Child Support Policy, Maria Cancian and Daniel R. Meyer
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The first webinar in the series, The Implications of Complex Families for Poverty and Child Support Policy, will be presented by two national experts in the field, Maria Cancian and Daniel R. Meyer. We often think of families with children as including a mother, father, and their children in common. However, about 40 percent of children are now born to unmarried parents, and estimates suggest that more often than not, one or both of these parents will go on to have children with other partners—that is, the mother will go on to have a child with a different father and/or the father will go on to have a child with a different mother. The complex families that result raise important challenges for poverty and child support policy.

Previous IRP Webinars: 2015–2016 | 2014–2015 | 2013–2014 | 2012–2013