A diverse group of more than 30 state lawmakers, legislative staff members, legislative service agency analysts, and staff from the Governor’s office attended the second Office Hours at the Capitol – presented by the Wisconsin Family Impact Seminars and the La Follette School – on Wednesday, May 16.

The Center for Financial Security Retirement and Disability Research Center (CFS RDRC) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison received a second year of funding from the US Social Security Administration (SSA). One of just four RDRCs in the country supported by SSA, UW–Madison’s is the only one focusing on the financial well-being of economically vulnerable families, older people, people with disabilities, low-wealth households, and children.

With funding from the Herb Kohl Public Service Research Competition, University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty members Barbara (Bobbi) Wolfe and Seth Pollak hosted an academic workshop on neuroscience, public policy, and poverty September 27 and 28 in Milwaukee. Discussion focused on children in poverty.

Differences in the qualities of adolescents’ neighborhoods do not appear to have much effect on whether they have heart disease, are obese or have depression as adults, new research from La Follette School professor Jason Fletcher shows. The journal Health Affairs in its September issue published the research by Fletcher and Stephen M. McLaughlin, a Ph.D. candidate in health policy and management at Yale University.

A new analysis from the La Follette School of Public Affairs may help Wisconsin prevent more cases of child abuse by detecting patterns associated with cases returning to the system after initially being screened out.

A new analysis by La Follette School students identifies factors associated with the risk of homeless among young adults exiting Wisconsin’s foster care system.

Improving nutrition and physical activity in child-care settings may be one of the best tools the state of Wisconsin could use to reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity, which affects 14 percent of preschoolers and 9 percent of adolescents in the state.

A Milwaukee Journal Sentinel opinion article highlights research overseen by La Follette School professor Robert Meyer.

Economist Jason Fletcher has joined the La Follette School faculty as an associate professor of public affairs.

Poverty expert Tim Smeeding has edited another book, From Parents to Children: The Intergenerational Transmission of Advantage.