View Research by Author - Henry Chen

Publications

This study follows-up on a prior study of child welfare agencies' efforts to identify, locate, and involve nonresident fathers of children in foster care. These analyses use information from the original survey and administrative data on case outcomes to explore three research questions: (1) Is nonresident father involvement associated with case length? (2) Is nonresident father involvement associated with foster care discharge outcomes? and (3) Is nonresident father involvement associated with subsequent child maltreatment allegations? The study finds that having an involved father is associated with shorter case length and a greater likelihood of reunification. Future research is needed to better understand the nature of nonresident fathers' involvement.

This report identifies the most reliable and informative data sources for understanding low-income households’ assets and liabilities, details their limitations, and provides options for improving asset data sources and collection methods. The report evaluates 12 data sets and identifies three as having the greatest potential for future asset research—the Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP), and the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID).

Over the last two decades, American households have generated healthy increases in wealth, but only modest increases in income.

In providing benefits to those without resources to support themselves, public assistance programs must define what counts as resources. Typically, programs consider assets and income in determining assistance eligibility. However, valuing assets can be difficult and asset tests create disincentives to save. In some cases, one additional dollar of assets can result in the loss of benefits worth thousands of dollars. Current practices raise two questions: are asset tests fair and do asset tests discourage asset accumulation? This brief identifies the population subject to asset tests, reviews existing research, considers strategies for meeting objectives, and offers suggestions for additional research.

Small business and microenterprise are important because of their role in the economy, their role in the American dream, and their economic development and self-sufficiency objectives. They are attractive because they create more economic development and self-sufficiency than income redistribution or meeting a minimum consumption level do. However, small business and microenterprise subsidies are often criticized because they are directed toward a narrow, entrepreneurial segment of the population that is not necessarily disadvantaged. This brief examines small business and microenterprise programs and subsidies, and offers recommendations to improve the evaluation and administration of these programs.

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