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Families

A multigenerational group of people who share a close relationship and generally live in the same household, with one or more parents caring for biological or adopted children, families also include adult children who care for their elderly parents. RAND research on families spans various populations and socioeconomic backgrounds in developed as well as developing countries and addresses such topics as child welfare, fertility, marriage and divorce, and household economic security.

Journal Article

Associations Between Parental SES and Children's Health-Related Quality of Life: The Role of Objective and Subjective Social Status

For children in 5th grade, objective measures of parents' social status were more strongly associated with health-related quality of life than subjective measures.

Dec 15, 2017
Project

Policy Options for Improving Child Welfare

Every year, about 3 million children in the U.S. face abuse or neglect. Expanding prevention and treatment services in the child welfare system could improve the lives of children and reduce lifetime expenses by 3 to 7 percent.

Dec 11, 2017
News Release

Reforms to U.S. Child Welfare System Could Reduce Costs and Improve Outcomes

Expanding prevention and treatment services in the U.S. child welfare system could improve the lives of children and reduce total lifetime expenses of such services by 3 to 7 percent.

Dec 11, 2017
Research Brief

Improving Children's Lives: Balancing Investments in Prevention and Treatment in the Child Welfare System

Increasing prevention and treatment improves children's experience and long-term outcomes while paying for itself by reducing lifetime child welfare system costs.

Dec 11, 2017
Report

Improving Child Welfare Outcomes

Policies aimed at increasing prevention and kinship care in the child welfare system improve children's experience and long-term outcomes. This approach is also cost effective, reducing total spending by 3 to 7 percent.

Dec 11, 2017
Journal Article

Impact of TBI on Caregivers of Veterans with TBI: Burden and Interventions

Programs to support caregivers and families of veterans with traumatic brain injuries will benefit from further research on the specific economic and health needs of these caregivers.

Dec 7, 2017
Commentary

Fighting Poverty with Taxes

As the debate over tax reform continues, finding ways to help the most disadvantaged segment of the population should be considered. Expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit and outreach to low-income populations could increase incentive to file or promote awareness about benefits and generate positive impacts in the longer term.

Nov 22, 2017
Research Brief

Decades of Evidence Demonstrate That Early Childhood Programs Can Benefit Children and Provide Economic Returns

An updated comprehensive review of rigorous evaluations of early childhood programs confirms and strengthens RAND researchers' findings from previous syntheses showing that many early childhood programs can improve a range of outcomes for children.

Nov 16, 2017
Report

Early Childhood Programs Can Improve Outcomes and Outweigh Costs

A review of 115 early childhood interventions — including preschool, home visiting, parent education, and other approaches — finds that most programs have favorable effects on at least one child outcome. And most of the programs with benefit–cost analyses show positive returns.

Nov 16, 2017
Essay

Military Caregivers Share the Costs of War

Millions of veterans and service members receive care from family and friends who need support as well. Military caregivers sacrifice their time, their jobs, and even their health to provide a service worth billions of dollars to the United States. RAND research illuminates who they are, what they do, and what they need to succeed.

Oct 30, 2017
Report

An Evaluation of U.S. Military Non-Medical Counseling Programs

This report evaluates two programs offered by the U.S. Department of Defense that provide solution-focused counseling for common personal and family issues to members of the active and reserve components of the U.S. military and their families.

Oct 23, 2017
Research Brief

U.S. Military Non-Medical Counseling Programs Demonstrate Benefits for Participants

RAND's evaluation of Military and Family Life Counseling and Military OneSource, based on participant surveys, suggests that these programs are largely effective for service members and families who have used these services.

Oct 23, 2017
Periodical

RAND Review: November-December 2017

This issue highlights recent RAND research on post-9/11 military caregivers; RAND-Lex, a computer program built at RAND that can analyze huge data sets of text; and the implications of climate change on Arctic cooperation.

Oct 19, 2017
Journal Article

Efficacy of a Web-based Intervention for Concerned Spouses of Service Members and Veterans with Alcohol Misuse

We found Partners Connect reduced CP anxiety and increased their emotional and tangible social support, factors that have a strong research base in affecting quality of life and health outcomes.

Oct 18, 2017
Report

Bridging Gaps in Veterans' Mental Health Care

The Welcome Back Veterans (WBV) Initiative aims to bridge gaps in mental health care for returning veterans and their families. Strategic planning will help ensure WBV's continued effectiveness.

Oct 9, 2017
Research Brief

The Changing Landscape for Veterans' Mental Health Care

The changing landscape of veterans' mental health care poses challenges for the Welcome Back Veterans (WBV) initiative. Examining these challenges may help WBV ensure continued success and sustainability.

Oct 9, 2017
Research Brief

A New Way Forward in Veterans' Mental Health Care: How "Welcome Back Veterans" Is Making a Difference

This brief provides an overview of the Welcome Back Veterans (WBV) initiative, which provides grants to programs focused on addressing the mental health needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

Oct 9, 2017
Report

Are Soldiers Getting What They Need?

In addition to typical household issues, U.S. military families deal with unique challenges, such as deployments and frequent moves. A survey of more than 7,000 active-duty soldiers provides insight into the problems they face, their needs, and the resources they use.

Oct 9, 2017
Commentary

Debunking 5 Myths of Sleeping Together

About a third of American adults choose not to sleep with their partner, and evidence suggests that their ranks are growing. This decision often results in social stigma, including some dubious assumptions that sleeping apart is a sign of a sexless or otherwise unhappy marriage.

Sep 27, 2017
Journal Article

Primary Care Providers with More Experience and Stronger Self-Efficacy Beliefs Regarding Women Veterans Screen More Frequently for Interpersonal Violence

Some primary care provider experiences and beliefs regarding women's health care influence rates of screening for military sexual trauma (MST) and/or intimate partner violence (IPV) .

Sep 6, 2017

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RAND Topic:
Families

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