Human Development and Family Sciences

Strategies to Address Structural Barriers to Economic Inclusion and Well-being Among Families Experiencing Poverty in the United States

Over the past quarter century, significant strides have been made in reducing child poverty, largely due to increased investments in the social safety net for children. Our nation has learned a lot about what works to reduce child poverty. However, significant challenges to sustaining and continuing this progress remain. In particular, stark disparities in child poverty among racial and ethnic lines, for children in immigrant families, and by family structure persist. In addition, the focus of support has shifted towards working families near or above the poverty line, inadvertently leaving behind children and families experiencing deep poverty.

Dr. Thomson will share findings across multiple projects designed to better understand the structural barriers to economic inclusion and wellbeing for families of color, immigrant families, and those experiencing deep poverty. She will highlight policy levers and programmatic strategies that show promise for addressing those barriers, promoting economic inclusion, and improving wellbeing for all children and families.

Sponsored by the Department of Human Development & Family Sciences, with generous support from the Luckey family.

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at 860.486.4049 or cynthia.stewart@uconn.edu by Wednesday, October 2^nd.

In Recognition of World Mental Health Month

Shalini Sivathasan, Ph.D., Boston College
“Reimagining Mental Health Care for Autistic Individuals: Social Justice Approaches for Research and Clinical Practice”
October 10, 2024 | 12:30 PM | WebEx

RSVP

Dr. Shalini Sivathasan (she/her) is an Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Lynch School of Education and Human Development at Boston College. Her research interests broadly center around improving behavioral health outcomes and access to mental healthcare among people with multiple marginalized identities (e.g., autistic and neurodivergent individuals, racial/ethnic minorities, LGBTQIA+). As the director of the Intersections Lab at BC, she and her students aim to leverage expert knowledge through collaborations with people with lived experiences, families, community partners, and mental health professionals, ultimately with the goal of reducing disparities and developing accessible interventions for marginalized children and adults.

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Ph.D., Yale School of Public Health

Topic: The Impact of Neocolonialism on Global, Maternal, and Child Health

November 14, 2024 | 12:30 PM | WebEx

RSVP

Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, Ph.D., is Professor of Public Health, and Director of the Office of Public Health Practice, the Global Health Concentration, and the Maternal Child Health Promotion track at the Yale School of Public Health. He is the PI of the Yale-Griffin CDC Prevention Research Center (PRC). His global public health nutrition and food security research program, supported with over $90 million in extramural funds, has contributed to improvements in breastfeeding and other maternal, infant and young child nutrition outcomes, iron deficiency anemia among infants, household food security, and early childhood development. He has co-led innovative mixed-methods implementation studies assessing the impact of community health worker person centered interventions on breastfeeding, type-2 diabetes, post-partum hypertension and mental health outcomes among vulnerable communities. He has published over 350 research articles. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (elected in 2019).