How can social sector organizations use data to increase their impact, and how can they ensure that impact will lead to equitable outcomes? These are guiding questions addressed in our roundtable series hosted by the Social Policy Institute’s Data Science for Social Impact initiative, which kicked off on October 20, 2021, and continues through November […]
Category: News
How Families are Spending the Expanded Child Tax Credit (Links to an external site)
Survey results from a report by the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis show that families are using the child tax credit to care for their children.
How the expanded child tax credit is helping families (Links to an external site)
The Source interviewed Stephen Roll, assistant research professor at the Social Policy Institute, about an SPI survey on the variety of ways families are using the child tax credit.
Pandemic isolation increasing negative behaviors among children in Israel
Isolation as a result of COVID-19 exposure is a key public health protocol to mitigate the spread of the virus; however, new survey results indicate increased isolations are associated with anger, violence, difficulties sleeping, and prolonged screen time.
15 Actionable Strategies to Embrace Inclusive Leadership
Speakers at the Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event series on Sept. 23 identified 15 strategies to proactively support and amplify diverse voices and perspectives as discussed by the speakers at the event.
Promoting Childhood Vaccination During the COVID-19 Pandemic
As schools start back up, many parents are concerned about the health effects of COVID-19 in children. However, childhood diseases beyond COVID-19 are still threats to children’s well-being. In the early stages of the pandemic, there was a large decrease in childhood vaccination rates for diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, measles and mumps.
94% Of Parents Say Child Tax Credit Payments Allow Them To Work More, Study Shows (Links to an external site)
A collaborative study from the Social Policy Institute and Humanity Forward show that Child Tax Credit payments have allowed parents to work the same amount or more.
The child tax credit encourages parents to work, study finds (Links to an external site)
CNBC shares data from a team of researchers from SPI in collaboration with Appalachian State, UNC-Greensboro, the Urban Institute and Humanity Forward, which shows that the new enhanced Child Tax Credit may help parents continue working.
It’s Not Too Late: Georgia Families Can Still Get Their Checks (Links to an external site)
The Georgia Budget & Policy Institute shares data from the Social Policy Institute, which shows the impact of the Child Tax Credit on families in Georgia.
Employment, Financial and Well-being Effects of the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit: Wave 1 Executive Summary
The 2021 temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is unprecedented in its reach and is predicted to cut American child poverty by more than half. The expanded CTC provides families with $3,600 for every child in the household under the age of six and $3,000 for every child between the ages of six […]
Apply to become a Graduate Policy Scholar!
Applications for the Graduate Policy Scholar program are now open to all graduate students at Washington University in St. Louis! The Graduate Policy Scholar program provides students from all fields of study with impactful opportunities and training in policy. Offered by the Social Policy Institute and the Clark-Fox Policy Institute, the yearlong program provides students […]
Students who isolate are angry, violent and addicted to screens – survey (Links to an external site)
The Jerusalem Post shares survey results on how children in quarantine experience more outbursts of anger, expressions of violence, prolonged use of screens and reversals of sleep hours.
New study shows how Virginians are using the Child Tax Credit (Links to an external site)
The Augusta Free Press shared research with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis in partnership with Annie E. Casey Foundation, which examined how Virginians are using their Child Tax Credit to care for their families.
New longitudinal Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Survey calls for sustained public benefit support
The Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis (SPI) released new findings on the impact of COVID-19 on housing hardship, the importance of employment and associated benefits, such as the Payment Protection Program, family hardships, and efficiency of public benefits designed to support households in need, such as SNAP, TANF, and unemployment insurance benefits.
Can students be safe in school when COVID-19 spikes? (Links to an external site)
The Jerusalem Post shared recent SPI findings that 52% of parents said they did not feel safe about sending their children back to school in August.
‘A manic moment’ for renters as Supreme Court ends eviction moratorium (Links to an external site)
Yung Chun, data analyst III at SPI, discussed the implications of the end of the eviction moratorium and the impact on renters with a reporter from the Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Biden cuts more student debt but defers on bigger fixes (Links to an external site)
Jason Jabbari, assistant research professor at SPI, discusses the effect of debt forgiveness on educational institutions with Times Higher Education.
Pfizer’s FDA approval is another strike against anti-vaxxers – analysis (Links to an external site)
The Jerusalem Post shared SPI findings that 40% of Israelis who are not vaccinated did not want to because they believed that the vaccine was not safe in the short term.
Radio interview: vaccine incentives in Israel (Links to an external site)
Kan interviewed Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, on the usage of incentives to encourage vaccination. Hebrew: האם כסף יעודד את הסרבנים להתחסן?
Why are 11% of Israelis still not vaccinated?
A new nationally representative survey from the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis (SPI) indicates that among the 11% of Israelis who are not vaccinated, 75% do not plan to get vaccinated.
Channel 13 shares parental vaccine hesitancy results (Links to an external site)
Channel 13 in Israel shared SPI research findings on why parents of 12-15-year-olds are hesitant to vaccinate their children. You can read the research results in English here.
A Fifth of Israelis Think COVID Is a Government, Pharma Conspiracy, Poll Says (Links to an external site)
Haaretz discusses a recent finding from the Social Policy Institute that shows that a fifth of Israelis believe that the vaccine is a government or pharma conspiracy.
20% of Israelis: The corona is a conspiracy of governments and pharmaceutical companies (Links to an external site)
The Marker covered our latest findings that 20% of Israelis believe that COVID-19 is a conspiracy by governments and pharmaceutical companies. These findings are the latest results from the Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 in Israel. Hebrew title: 20% מהישראלים: הקורונה היא קנוניה של ממשלות וחברות תרופות
Only half of Israelis want a third COVID-19 vaccine shot – Survey (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, was interviewed by the Jerusalem Post about research findings that only 52% of Israelis who received the original vaccine would take a third shot. This finding comes from the latest data from SPI on the socioeconomic impacts of COVID-19 in Israel.
Inclusive and equitable tech reskilling at LaunchCode in St. Louis (Links to an external site)
Recognizing the shortcomings of equitable hiring and reskilling in the tech sector, LaunchCode, a St. Louis-based technology training organization, implemented a new model for equitable re-skilling by combining computer science training with a paid apprenticeship and by altering its recruitment and retention efforts. SPI partnered with LaunchCode to evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts in […]
Internationally collaborative seed grant recipients: Where are they now?
Over the last two years, the Social Policy Institute and McDonnell International Scholars Academy at Washington University in St. Louis have partnered in sponsoring internationally collaborative research. The first projects, funded at the beginning of 2020, explored social policy globally to understand systemic challenges within and between nations. However, as with everything in 2020, the […]
Why are Israeli parents of 12-15-year-olds hesitant to vaccinate their children?
By Yaniv Shlomo, Senior Fellow; Oren Heller, Postdoctoral Research Associate; Daniel Yeshua, Program Manager; and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Director Download a PDF to read this text in Hebrew: מדוע הורים לבני 12 עד 15 מהססים לחסן את ילדיהם? While most Israeli adults are vaccinated, 62% of parents are hesitant to vaccinate their 12-15-year-old children. The findings […]
Rewriting the social contract (Links to an external site)
Mathieu Despard, faculty director at SPI, discusses how workplaces have innovated with their benefits over the course of the pandemic.
Inclusive growth feature: Building an inclusive workforce in St. Louis
This inclusive growth feature is one of a multi-part feature on how to support inclusive growth in St. Louis by our advisory committee for the Inclusive Growth in St. Louis Event Series. In my hometown of St. Louis, inclusive growth means that everyone in our community has access to education and training to obtain well-paying […]
The Majority Report with Sam Seder (Links to an external site)
Stephen Roll, SPI assistant research professor, was interviewed by Sam Seder about his research on the impacts of student debt forgiveness on households. This content is only available to peacock.tv subscribers (ep 65).
Celebrating the Graduate Policy Scholars 2021 Cohort
The Graduate Policy Scholars program provides students from all fields of study with impactful opportunities and training in policy. Offered by the Clark-Fox Policy Institute in partnership with the Social Policy Institute, the yearlong program provides students with opportunities to develop skills in advocacy, analysis and/or organizing. During the program, students receive guidance and mentorship […]
Inclusive Growth Feature: Impacting policy through collaboration
Jackie Hutchinson, Executive Director of the Consumers Council of Missouri, sat down with the Social Policy Institute to discuss her career in advocating for equity and inclusive growth. Throughout her career she’s found her greatest impact through policy action and collaboration. This inclusive growth feature is one of a multi-part feature on how to support […]
The debate that divides parents and experts – should children be vaccinated against corona? (Links to an external site)
Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, was interviewed on television by N12 about children’s vaccination rates. Recent research from the Socioeconomic Impact of the COVID-19 Survey based in Israel found that even though 90% of respondents were vaccinated, only 40% of them expressed the desire to vaccinate their children.
Israel’s next president has long-standing relationship with the Social Policy Institute at Washington University
With Isaac Herzog set to become Israel’s 11th president later this summer, the Social Policy Institute (SPI) reflects on its long-standing partnership with the future president. SPI director, Michal Grinstein-Weiss, began working with President-elect Herzog in 2010 to generate national support to create the first universal child development account program (CDA) in the world. Grinstein-Weiss, […]
Inclusive Growth Feature: Intersection of health, wealth and inclusive growth
How can we build inclusive and healthy communities in St. Louis? Kristy Klein Davis, Chief Strategy Officer of the Missouri Foundation for Health, sat down with the Social Policy Institute to discuss the intersection of health and inclusive growth. This inclusive growth feature is one of a multi-part feature on how to support inclusive growth […]
Researchers keep international COVID-19 projects moving forward (Links to an external site)
Despite the challenges of COVID-19, Michal Grintsein-Weiss, director of the Social Policy Institute, discusses SPI’s continued valuable international research partnerships throughout the pandemic.
Student debt forgiveness would impact nearly every aspect of people’s lives (Links to an external site)
With recent calls for student loan debt forgiveness by political leaders, SPI researchers investigated how debt relief could impact household spending and behaviors. Brooking Institute published recent findings on the implications for debt forgiveness on household economic stability and mobility.
Tech Companies Want Schools to Use COVID Relief Money on Surveillance Tools (Links to an external site)
Surveillance tools are being marketed as tools to enforce COVID-19 restrictions including mask wearing, social distancing, and contact tracing. However, VICE cites research from SPI data analyst Jason Jabbari & faculty affiliate Odis Johnson to recognize that it can do far more harm than good.
SPI researchers win awards for paper at ACCI Conference & VentureCafe STL Fellowship
Stephen Roll and Mathieu Despard, researchers at SPI, recently received the CFP© Board’s ACCI Financial Planning Paper Award for their paper on income loss and financial distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. The award is given to a well-written paper that focuses on important financial planning issues which can be used by consumers, financial planning professionals, and policymakers […]
Data and the social sector: We are all “data people”
Most of us who have worked in the social sector have interacted with data in some facet of our jobs. Whether applying for grants, evaluating programs, tracking client outcomes, drafting annual reports, or designing dashboards, our effectiveness hinges in part on how well we use data. I still recall in my past work being taken […]
Inclusive Growth Feature: Why the intersection of social work and banking is crucial to inclusive growth
by Sheri Flanigan- Vazquez, Chief Operating Officer of Justine PETERSEN and advisor of Inclusive Growth in St. Louis event series. I am educated as a Master of Social Work, but perhaps assume the role of a banker by profession. Are they mutually exclusive? Does this pose an inherent paradox? And if so, why I am […]
Inequalities in housing hardship declined because everybody is now worse off (Links to an external site)
Over recent months, SPI researchers found that the disproportionate experiences of housing hardship have lessened, but only because everyone became worse off. They also have observe that Black families have become “long-haulers” when it comes to their experience of housing hardship.
How do Americans say they will use direct cash transfers? The answer depends on the frequency and the amount of the payment
From discussions of universal basic income in the 2020 presidential debates to repeated stimulus checks during the COVID-19 pandemic, government cash transfers have received a lot of attention recently. When considering a cash transfer program, policymakers usually have an objective in mind, such as reducing economic inequality, improving households’ ability to meet basic needs, or […]
Building an effective employee financial wellness program [5 Key Insights]
Anyone who does a “happy dance” on payday knows how much employers affect our financial lives. Most of us depend on employment to make ends meet and pursue our long-term goals. That’s why through the Workforce Financial Stability Initiative, we’ve been studying employee financial wellness programs (EFWPs) since 2017. Our motivation was simple: with growing […]
Covid-19: Israel drops the mask, but the damage remains deeper (Links to an external site)
As Israeli students return to schools and Israel drops its national mask mandate, Ouest France reflects on how the first country in the world is starting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
‘High-Surveillance’ Schools Lead to More Suspensions, Lower Achievement (Links to an external site)
New research from Jason Jabbari, SPI data analyst, finds schools that tighten security and surveillance in response to shootings or other acts of violence may worsen long-term academic progress, particularly for Black students.
Israel’s Schools Return to Normal on Sunday (Links to an external site)
Hamodia covers students return in-person to schools in Israel starting April 19th. They share recent findings that 1 in 5 children suffer from symptoms of anxiety from Michal Grinstein-Weiss as well as partners IDC Herzliya and Hebrew University.
After about 13 months of part-time studies, the education system will fully open tomorrow (Links to an external site)
Haaretz discusses findings by Michal Grinstein-Weiss, director of SPI, as well as IDC Herzliya, and Rami Benvenisti of Hebrew University that one in five Israeli children currently show signs of anxiety as schools resume to full in-person learning.
Coronavirus: To vaccinate or not vaccinate children? (Links to an external site)
The Jerusalem post covered SPI research findings that less than half of vaccinated parents will also vaccinate their children. Israel is likely to be the first country to grapple with the ethics of whether vaccinating children to achieve herd immunity is worth the risk.
Research: One in five students in Israel suffers from anxiety symptoms due to COVID-19 (Links to an external site)
Haaretz covered SPI research discovery that the mental distress of the children in Israel increases the lower the parental income. When considering ethnic and religious groups, the lowest anxiety rates were recorded among the ultra-Orthodox.