What is the main focus of your research?
My research examines young adults that have been in foster care as children, a group that often struggles to achieve financial security, among other challenges, in adulthood. My dissertation work focuses specifically on issues of economic well-being and intergenerational maltreatment.
How have you connected your academic work with policy?
This September I was able to present a chapter of my dissertation to the Wisconsin Secretary's Advisory Council on Child Welfare, a room full of state and county administrators as well as a group of youth that had aged out of foster care in Wisconsin. It was powerful to hear from the foster care alumni how my research accurately reflected their own experiences aging out of foster care and their need for additional supports related to financial management and economic security.
How have you worked with your policy mentor over the course of the fellowship?
Throughout the fellowship my policy mentor, Ken Taylor, has been a link to what is happening at the county and state level regarding the child welfare system and foster youth. Staying informed of the current landscape is crucial for positioning research findings to have a potential impact on practice or policy.
What advice would you give other fellows on having a policy impact?
Use your policy mentor to make connections. They have a great network and may have some insight into what is going on behind the scenes or what might be coming up in the future regarding your research topic. Your policy mentor can also be a key source of ideas for where and when the knowledge generated from your research will be of interest and perhaps have influence on decision-makers.
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