Kameri Christy

Sustaining Our Nation's Seniors through Federal Food and Nutrition Programs

Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the United States where one in six people suffer from hunger. The older adult population faces unique challenges to receiving adequate nutrition. The federal government currently employs four food and nutrition programs that target the senior population in an effort to address their specific needs. These are the Congregate Meals and Home Delivered Meals Programs (provided through the Older Americans Act), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program and Child and Adult Care Food Program (provided by the United States Department of Agriculture). As the older adult population continues to grow, it will be important to evaluate and improve these programs and the social policies related to them. This manuscript describes each policy in depth, considers economic and political elements that have shaped each policy, describes the level of program success, and offers suggestions for future research and program development.

Examining Relationships Between Financial Capital and Personal Well-Being

Researchers have traditionally examined economic well-being with income data, yet recent findings indicate positive effects of assets on well-being, independent from income. For this study, baseline data from 904 low-income individuals were used to examine relationships between income, assets, and personal, social, and economic outcomes. Baseline findings indicate that financial assets did not influence perceptions of self-efficacy, economic strain, or social support. However, an individuals age was associated with perceived outcomes, with increased age leading to decreased support and self-efficacy and increased economic strain. A discussion of findings and implications of this research for community-based strategies is provided.

Preparing Children for Success: Parents’ Perspectives on Promoting Savings and Education

Many states are implementing asset development strategies to promote postsecondary education for low- to moderate-income families, realizing that limited education is a powerful predictor of poverty, and poverty mediates the likelihood of obtaining postsecondary education. Using demographic and qualitative data collected from two groups of low- to moderate-income parents (N = 24), this article highlights two programs that promote savings and increase post-secondary education for these children and families. The 21st Century Scholars Program targets youths, and the complementary Educational Development Accounts program targets their parents. This article also explores perspectives of the participants’ experiences, beliefs, and perceptions relative to savings and education and the success of their children in these areas. It concludes with implications for asset-building programs and policy whose aim is to assist low- to moderate-income families in achieving economic and educational mobility and implications for social welfare policy.

“It’s All About Security to Me”: The Role of Environment in Youth Financial Literacy and Savings Behaviors

This qualitative study explores financial behavior and expectations in families of origin in addition to youth financial education and savings behaviors. The authors interviewed 14 youths, aged 17 to 19 years, whose families had low incomes, education levels, and savings rates and who participated in a youth-based financial education and dedicated savings program and present key themes and subthemes that were revealed during data analysis. Findings suggest that, rather than replicating the behavior of their parents and experiencing the same financial struggles, the youths interviewed were motivated by a desire to avoid these challenges. However, youths in this study also noted that they experienced social and economic barriers that their higher income peers did not. Policy, practice, and research implications of these findings are discussed.

Savings Program Participation and Outcomes for Hispanics

ABSTRACT Low- and moderate-income Hispanics in the United States have traditionally experienced few institutional incentives for savings and asset development and have instead encountered many disincentives. The authors provide a brief review of the various enticements and deterrents for savings and wealth development for traditionally underrepresented groups, with a focus on Hispanics. One of the most recent savings initiatives for low- and moderate-income individuals involves dedicated savings accounts, also known as Individual Development Accounts (IDAs). This study was designed to examine whether IDA program completion supports asset development over time for Hispanics. Results indicate that while there are no statistically significant differences in asset growth between IDA completers and non-completers, IDA program completers did experience more growth on all asset measures. The authors provide suggestions on how to close the racial and ethnic wealth gap for low- and moderate-income Hispanic individuals and households.

Assessment of a State TANF Funded IDA Initiative: A Case Study

Abstract Individual development accounts (IDAs), wealth-building programs for the working poor, have existed since the late 1980s. Current research suggests that IDA programs benefit families while contributing to local and state economies. This program evaluation assessed the impact of one state Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)-funded IDA initiative. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from four agencies chosen using cluster sampling across the state. Agency programmatic and participant data from the last year of operation (N = 160) were examined. Agencies also provided contact information for three participants who had graduated and three who exited the program prematurely in the past year of operation. In person, interviews were held with agency directors (n = 6) and IDA participants (n = 11) were interviewed by telephone. Results indicate that 69% (n = 111) of IDA enrollees successfully completed the program. IDA participants who exited the program prior to completion also expressed benefits associated with the time in which they were involved. Programmatic and individual benefits and challenges reported guide recommendations for improving IDA marketability, participant outcomes, and organizational performance rates. A critical implication of the findings is the need to expand the use and design of IDA programs legislatively to better serve historically oppressed and working poor families more effectively.

Household Financial Capital and Food Security

ABSTRACT Nearly 20% of all U.S. households were considered food insecure in 2013. Although income poverty is often associated with food insecurity, the relationship between household assets and food insecurity have not been fully explored. Using a randomized sample of 28,336 adults, the authors examined these relationships, independent of income. Findings suggest that homeowners are more likely to report food security than individuals still making mortgage payments and renters. In addition, individuals who own other financial assets are more likely to be food secure than individuals without these assets. Implications of this study include increasing financial education and opportunities for asset building.

A Multi-Systems Life Course Perspective of Economic Abuse

Intimate partner violence (IPV) against women slowly moved out of the private sphere and into the public realm in the United States in the early 1970’s. While progress has been made regarding psychological, physical, and sexual trauma related to IPV, it has been only in the last decade that attention about IPV has included an examination of the impact of economic abuse (EA). This is disturbing given that EA is one of the eight spokes on the Power and Control wheel (PCW) and many women state that they are not able to leave or get away from the abusive relationship due to financial reasons. Using a multi-systems life course (MSLC) perspective, this paper considers the importance of elevating EA as a form of IPV-related trauma. We examine EA’s differential impact among women, review current practices and policies, and conclude with implications for micro, mezzo, and macro levels of trauma-informed practice with survivors of EA.

Perceived Health Status and Health Insurance Status: Protective Factors Against Health-Related Debt?

Current health care debate has largely focused on the need for health insurance coverage rather than quality coverage. Yet the economic downturn has resulted in an increasing number of individuals who are uninsured or underinsured, and consequently face financial hardships. Multivariate analyses were used with 95 adults to examine relationships between health insurance, health status, and health debt. Controlling for demographics, and human and financial capital, findings suggest that health debt is not related to health insurance or health status. However, individuals with post-secondary education and non-homeowners appear to be more at risk for accumulating health debt.

Cohabitation and Marital Status

Household economic decisions have historically been viewed through a patriarchal lens; however, using empowerment theory, the effects and implications of economic resources in the lives of low-income individuals are being reexamined and reconstructed. No longer is it sufficient to view economic resources or intimate partner violence (IPV) from a one- dimensional perspective; a holistic, multi-dimensional approach examining the complexities of economic resources and IPV must be viewed from the inequities that arise from social, economic and cultural power imbalances. Research studies have traditionally examined the relationship between household income and only the physical abuse component of IPV. In more recent research, after controlling for income, household financial assets are also found to be associated with various measures of personal well-being. Yet little information is available regarding the correlation between income, financial assets and intimate partner violence. Given the importance of a variety of variables on a woman’s decision to leave an abusive relationship, it is important to examine these relationships. Data from a bi-state longitudinal study of 904 low-income individuals were used to assess the relationship between household assets and IPV outcomes. Findings indicate that personal income, assets in the form of savings, marital status, household composition, and housing status are significantly related to differential reports of IPV. Implications for this research are discussed.