SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report

Sections

Status: Approved

Basic Information

Participants

State representatives present: Jean Bauer (MN); Robin Douthitt (WI); Bonnie Braun (MD); Susan Churchill (NE); Elizabeth Dolan (NH); Patricia Dyk (KY); Steve Garasky (IA); Donna Hess (SD); David Imig (MI); Fran Lawrence (LA); Sheila Mammem (MA); Suzann Knight (NH); Josephine Swanson (NY); Leslie Richards (OR); Sharon Seiling (OH); Karen Varcoe (CA) Other persons present: Don Arwood (SD); Kathy Bosch (NE); Laurie Bullock (MI); Caroline Crocoll (DC); Carrie Farris (OR); Jaerim Lee (MN); Cathey Huddleston-Casas (NE); Mary Jo Katras (MN); Martha Lopez (CA); Margaret Manoogian (OH, WV); Lenna Ontai-Grzebik (CA); Holly Pong (CA); Yoshie Sano (OR); Amanda Taylor (OR); Leigh Ann Simmons (KY)

The Annual Meeting focused on research presentations from the group, goals for the next year for data analysis and dissemination (specifically BreezeLive conferences). Work Towards Objectives: Data collection and analyses: Data collection is completed except for those states in Panel 3 (SD and IA). The codebooks have been updated to all of the longitudinal variable names. There are 8 quantitative data sets and 7 qualitative data sets. A pseudonym list for counties will be developed and shared with all via the FTP site. NRI Update: The NRI grant focuses on 3 topic areas (social support, labor force, health) across all three waves; each area has a program leader which can help with linkages across states and topics. A brochure about the project is ready and posted on the FTP site; the brochure can be modified for each state. The conference calls between group members have been very successful and will continue over the next year. The BreezeLive session was very successful. Working Groups: The Working Groups reported on their activities, publications, and presentations over the past year. A summary of productivity is given at the end of this report. The Child Care working group will be folded into Family Strengths. The Community Working Group will explore opportunities to get funding to do an analysis of community food security and placed into data set. They will also develop descriptive pieces on communities weve studied. The Economic Well-being will have joint publications/presentations over the next year Presentations: Members of the group conducted presentations on current research, community data set, use of SPSS and MAXQDA2. BreezeLive Conference: There were many lessons learned from the first conference and suggestions have been collected for the next conference, e.g., have an executive summary. There is a commitment to do three conferences possibly in January, March, and May and capitalize on work that has been done. The workgroup leaders will help craft the topics and who the participants/audience will be. Nominations and elections: The nomination committee nominated Susan Churchill for secretary and Josephine Swanson for Vice-President for Outreach. Voting was conducted and both were elected unanimously. Future Work: Next years meeting will be Kentucky; Wednesday night through Friday (October 18  20).

Accomplishments

Objective 1: To analyze the interactions among public assistance and informal social supports, community context, and individual and family characteristics and their relation to the functioning and well-being of rural low income families with children over three years time. 1. See list of publications and presentations 2. The information on the EITC research as well as the use of assistance programs by minority youth was utilized by San Diego Foundation (CA) for Charitable Trusts to help them identify areas for future funding. 3. Analysis of interactions among Iowa Latino families, informal social supports, and community social service agencies will provide critical information to assess rural family well-being among immigrants and help community policy-makers evaluate current services and potentially formulate new community service practices for Latinos. 4. Based on the relationship established through the NC1011 study with a county agency personnel, the Department of Family Studies (UMD) was asked to conduct an evaluation of the impact of the Healthy Families program on school readiness of low-income families in that county. Objective 2: To assess across time the relative effects of economic opportunity, and personal attributes and actions, on employment and self-sufficiency among the rural low income families participating in the study. See list of publications and presentations Objective 3: To assess over time, how families have adapted to policy and economic changes to achieve self-sufficiency (household adaptive strategies and well being that are associated with economic, food security, family functioning and policy). See list of publications and presentations Objective 4: To collect additional data in year 3 of the study to track the functioning of the participating families related to changing policies and economic conditions. This objective has essentially been abandoned by the NC1011 research team. Most of the states have not maintained contact with their participating families. Many of the families have moved and tracking them tends to be difficult. The cost in collecting and processing interview data is deemed as excessive for the small number of families that would potentially be reached.

Impacts

  1. Two states (IA, MI) have used data to help state policy makers evaluate current services and to start discussions about new community resources in rural areas.
  2. Several states have used the data as the basis for the development of Extension educational materials. In Louisiana, a parenting program reaches over 3,000 parents receiving public assistance during 2004-2005. Participants in this parenting program reported (1) having more positive interactions with their young children, a variable known to have long-term developmental effects for children and (2) being more conscientious of purchases, using cost-saving techniques, and using money management techniques.
  3. Several states have used the data to develop or expand programs to reach rural families about the Earned Income Tax Credit. In New Hampshire, two grants were written and funded focusing on Linking Workers with the Earned Income Tax Credit. Connections have been made with all of the local coalitions and AARP who are reaching the EITC eligible population through free tax preparation sites. The NH Statewide EITC Alliance has been formed to share best practices amongst the community coalitions and share resources. In Louisiana, the participants of Extension parenting programs have learned about, and filed for, EITC. In California, the EITC data was used by the San Diego Foundation for Charitable Trusts to identify areas for future funding.
  4. In Maryland, findings from mental health analyses were used in testimony to the Commission on Access to Mental Health established by the Maryland Governor. The NC1011 team member served as a member of that Commission. Subsequent legislation positively affecting rural families was passed by the General Assembly in 2005. In 2004, $30,000 in funding was received from the Charles F. Kettering Foundation to answer the question, "Under what conditions, can and will, limited resource citizens engage in deliberative public policy processes?" A report is available at: http://www.hhp.umd.edu/FMST/fis/_docs/ Engaging_Unheard_Voices.pdf
  5. New Hampshire NC 1011 team members are in process of building a web site that will be accessible to the general public. Website will include descriptions of NH sample relative to certain issues, such as food security, employment, etc. Outreach has increased through print, and non-print media, and a collaboration has been formed with an information and referral agency to be the starting point for information on rural low income families.
  6. In Kentucky, the NC1011 team members worked with one county Extension office and county adult literacy program. Analyses of data are being provided to agents, particularly those working with low-resource clientele.
  7. NC 1011 team members in South Dakota developed a secondary data set providing contextual (county & state) data for each of the states involved in NC 1011. That data set is also now available to participating researchers.

Publications

Publications/ presentationsWritten Berry, A. A., Shaffett, B. D., Tucker, J. A. (2004, November) Strategies to Empower People: Step toward Self-reliance for Low-income Families Receiving Public Assistance. In R. Travnichek (Ed.), Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 81. Braun, B. & Anderson, E.A. (2005) Multisite, mixed-methods study of rural low-income families. In Bengstson, V.L., Acock, A.C., Allen, K.R., Dilworth-Anderson, P., & Klein, D.M. (Eds), Sourcebook of family theory and research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 484-487. Churchill, S.L., (2005). Family fun in rural areas: Implications for children. Play, Policy, & Practice Connections. Newsletter of the Play, Policy, & Practice Interest Forum of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Volume IX, Issue 1. Dolan, E., Richards, L, Sano, Y., Bauer, J., Braun, B. (2005). Linkages Between employment patterns and depression over time: The case of low-income rural mothers. Consumer Interests Annual, 51. Available at: http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/Dolan_LinkagesBetweenEmploymentPatternsandDepressionOverTime.pdf Dolan, E.M., Mammen, S., Bauer, J., & Seiling, S., (2005). Stability of Employment of Rural Low-Income Mothers and Their Access to Employer Benefits, Consumer Interests Annual, 51. Available on line at: http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/Seiling_StabilityofEmploymentofRuralLow-IncomeMothersandTheir.pdf Garrison, M. E. B., Marks, L. D., Lawrence, F. C., & Braun, B. (2004). Religious beliefs, faith community involvement and depression: A study of rural, low-income mothers. Women and Health, 40 (3), 51-63. Lawrence, F., Mammen, S., Kiss, E., Seiling, S., & Varcoe, K. (2004, November). Use of the earned income credit by rural working families. In R. Travnichek (Ed.), Proceedings of the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education, 51-52. Mammen, S., & Dolan., E.M., (2005, May). Employment and Obstacles to Employment of Rural Low-Income Mothers in the Northeast, Rural Poverty in the Northeast: Strengthening the Regional Research Effort. Conference. Available at: http://www.cas.nercrd.psu.edu/reg.pov2005wksTOC.htm Maring, E.F., & Braun, B., (2005, March). Rural, low-income families experience barriers to substance abuse services. National Council on Family Relations Repor,t 50 (1), F19-F20. Olson, C.M., Miller, E.O., Swanson, J.A., Strawderman, M.S., (2005, May), The dynamics of food insecurity in rural America: Are there regional differences? Rural Poverty in the Northeast: Global Forces and Individual Coping Strategies Available at: http://www.cas.nercrd.psu.edu/reg.pov2005wksTOC.htm Olson, CM and Bove CF. (2005). Obesity in rural women: Emerging risk factors and hypotheses. In Coward RT, Davis LA, Gold CH, Smickilas-Wright H, Thorndyke LE, Vondracek FW (eds). Rural Womens Health: Linking Mental, Behavioral, and Physical Health. New York: Springer Publishing. Seiling, S. B., Varcoe, K., DeVitto, Z., & Kim, E-J. (2005). Ethnic differences in predictors of health care use among low-income, rural women. Consumer Interests Annual, 51,. Available at http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/Seilings_EthnicDifferencesinPredictorsofHealthCareUseAmong.pdf Seo, J., Stafford, K., & Seiling, S. (2005). Mothers share of child care in rural low-income families. Consumer Interests Annual, 51, p. 107-120. Available at http://www.consumerinterests.org/files/public/Seiling_Mothers'ShareofChildCareinRuralLow-IncomeFamilies.pdf Vandergriff-Avery, M., Anderson, E.A., & Braun, B. (2004). Resiliency capacities among rural low-income families: Implications for practitioners. Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services. 85(4), 562-569. Graduate student theses/dissertations/papers Yoshie Sano. 2005. Ph.D. The Complexity of Non-Resident Father Involvement in Low-Income Families: Mothers Perspectives. Oregon State University Robin N. Ozretich, 2004. M.S. Because We Didnt Have Nowhere to Go: Residential Instability Among Rural Low-Income Families. Oregon State University Tricia Wek-Visker, 2005 Ph.D., Rural American Indian Families and Resiliency,. South Dakota State University
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