View Research by Author - Lawrence Aber

Publications

Earlier this year, the Urban Institute and the Georgetown Center on Poverty, Inequality, and Public Policy brought together senior federal and state officials, leading policy experts, and researchers to propose and debate ideas for combating poverty and its harmful effects after the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expires in 2010. Papers presented during "Reducing Poverty and Economic Distress after ARRA: The Most Promising Approaches" reflect on lessons learned from the recession and the changing economic, fiscal, and political landscapes to set out clear rationales for the authors' recommendations and offer concrete policy ideas for Congress, the White House, and states.

Children and youth vary in their developmental health due to differences in family economic security and exposure to toxic stress. The economic downturn has increased the challenges facing low-income children. The ARRA and the President's first budget made significant down-payments on investments in protecting and promoting the well-being of these children. But some of those investments are temporary and must be built into baselines going forward. Many other promising avenues for policy change could be implemented through reauthorization of PRWORA and ESEA. Further, a new era of experimentation in innovative program and policies is recommended for when the economy recovers.

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