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Learning Community on Family Economic Well-Being Research

Colleagues discussing business together.

Project Summary

Existing literature suggests that family economic well-being is an important protective factor to counter child maltreatment. Nationwide, there is growing interest in strengthening families by investing in family economic well-being, including by mitigating income volatility (reducing variance in income over time) and its effects. There are many potential policy and programmatic avenues to address issues related to income volatility, and recent advances in data integration across government systems allow for even more creative approaches. Yet the conversation around income volatility as a lever for change is just beginning.

In collaboration with the Colorado Department of Early Childhood (CDEC), the Colorado Lab seeks to convene a Learning Community on Family Economic Well-Being Research to align the needs of policymakers and the public with rigorous research that explores the connection between income volatility and family economic well-being or child maltreatment. The interdisciplinary Learning Community of up to 12 research experts (up to seven  from outside of Colorado) will explore what we know and don’t know about the relationship between income volatility and family economic well-being or child maltreatment, and what actionable policies and programs might be part of the solution. By early fall 2025, the Learning Community will develop a mind map or similar visual to provide a centerpiece for conversations in the field, demonstrating where current research is focused and prioritizing where more research is needed to inform policy and practice.


Steps to Building Evidence

Since the Learning Community is not focused on one program or practice, this project is not situated on the Steps to Building Evidence.


Actionability

The target audiences for the Learning Community’s findings include, but will not necessarily be limited to, state and federal policymakers deciding where and how to invest future child maltreatment prevention dollars, program managers who are deciding how to invest current dollars (e.g., state CBCAP program administrators), and advocates.


Get Involved

For more information about working with the Colorado Lab, see Government and Community Partnerships or Research Partnerships.