Sprick, E. (with Despard, M., & Roll, S.). (2025). Moving forward from SECURE 2.0: Building on the law’s most effective provisions, closing the access gap, and reforming social security. Bipartisan Policy Center. https://bipartisanpolicy.org/download/?file=/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Moving-Forward-from-SECURE-2.0-BPC-CSD-Report.pdf
Category: Report
PCCI Direct Cash Transfer Project: Final Report
Hamilton, L., Roll, S., & Zhang, G. (2025). PCCI Direct Cash Transfer Project: Final Report. Appalachian State University, Family Economic Policy Lab. https://fepl.appstate.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/PCCI-Cohort-2-Final-Report.pdf
Report on a Seminar on Financial Capability and Asset Building Organised for Social Work Practitioners
Naami, A., Dako-Gyeke, M., Mills, A. A., & Ampomah, A. (2024, March). Report on a seminar on financial capability and asset building organised for social work practitioners (CSD Research Report No. 24-02). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/n61e-dm86
The Case for Early Wealth Building Accounts
Abstract Aspen FSP research on the Future of Wealth has shown that to succeed in the United States economy, people need to enter adulthood–a life stage when many critical investments are made – with a substantial amount of money to invest in themselves and their future. The importance of what we’re calling “investable sums” in young adulthood […]
HomeGrown StL 5th Annual Regional Summit on the State of Opportunities for Black Boys and Young Men: Organizing for Solutions That Unleash the Elite Potential of Young Black Males
Joe, S., Clifton, M., & Carlton-Brown, D. (2023, May). HomeGrown StL 5th Annual Regional Summit on the State of Opportunity for Black Boys and Young Men: Organizing for solutions that unleash the elite potential of young Black males (CSD Conference Report No. 23-17). Washington University, Center for Social Development, Race & Opportunity Lab, HomeGrown StL. https://doi.org/10.7936/64jx-0x32
“It helped us more than I could have imagined”: How the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit Supported Families Raising Children with Disabilities
Summary The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided temporary enhancements to the existing CTC for the tax years 2021 and 2022. Under the expanded credit, families with children under the age of 18 were eligible to receive a credit of up to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under the age of 6). In […]
Expanded Child Tax Credit Payments Supported Families Raising Children with Disabilities
Summary The 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit (CTC) provided temporary enhancements to the existing CTC for the tax years 2021 and 2022. Under the expanded credit, families with children under the age of 18 were eligible to receive a credit of up to $3,000 per child ($3,600 for children under the age of 6). In […]
The impacts of the 2021 expanded Child Tax Credit on family employment, nutrition, and financial well-being
The 2021 temporary expansion of the child tax credit (CTC) was unprecedented in its reach, lifting 3.7 million children out of poverty as of December 2021. It provided families with up to $3,600 for every child in the household under the age of six and up to $3,000 for every child between the ages of […]
Expanded Child Tax Credit payments have not reduced employment
Approximately 60 million American children living in 35 million households received monthly payments from the federal government as part of the temporary Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. Discourse over whether or not the expanded CTC caused parents to leave the workforce emerged during the period of the expanded credit. On one side, a large number […]
Policy & Practice Strategies for Inclusive Growth in St. Louis
A 6-part event series, Inclusive Growth in St. Louis investigated who is left out of St. Louis’ economic growth benefits, the policies that have led to the unequal distribution of opportunities, and actionable recommendations to become a more inclusive economy. This report summarizes those discussions and recommendations.
HomeGrown StL 4th Annual Regional Summit on the State of Opportunities for Black Boys and Young Men: Closing the Health, Growth, and Opportunity Gaps
Joe, S., Clifton, M., & Carlton-Brown, D. (2021, December). HomeGrown StL 4th Annual Regional Summit on the State of Opportunities for Black Boys and Young Men: Closing the healing, growth, and opportunity gaps (CSD Conference Report No. 21-34). Washington University, Center for Social Development, Race & Opportunity Lab, HomeGrownStL. https://doi.org/10.7936/cej1-ds84
Employment, Financial and Well-being Effects of the 2021 Expanded Child Tax Credit: Wave 1 Executive Summary
The 2021 temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is unprecedented in its reach and is predicted to cut American child poverty by more than half. The expanded CTC provides families with $3,600 for every child in the household under the age of six and $3,000 for every child between the ages of six […]
Use of Public Benefits Over the First Year of Pandemic: Exploring Access, Delays, and Outcomes
Bufe, S., Roll, S., Kristensen, K., Zhao, D., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2021). Use of public benefits over the first year of pandemic: Exploring access, delays and outcomes (Social Policy Institute Research Report). Washington University, Social Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.7936/h45c-kc86
Impact of COVID-19 on Households with Children
The COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions in employment, child care and education. As a result, both parents and children experienced a variety of hardships in their work and education. While these hardships had reverberating effects throughout households, they were not equally distributed across families with children. In this brief, we explore the effects of COVID-19 […]
Housing Hardships During COVID-19
Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. households were burdened by the cost of rental and mortgage payments, burdens which disproportionately fell on Black and Hispanic families. Using a 5-wave survey, we examined whether disparities in housing cost burden continued throughout the pandemic and trends in how households fell behind on rent and mortgage payments. […]
How are families in the U.S. using their Child Tax Credit payments? A 50 state analysis
The temporary expansion of the Child Tax Credit (CTC) is projected to cut American child poverty by more than half. The CTC expansion provides families with $3,600 for every child in the household under the age of six and $3,000 for every child between the ages of six and 17. The vast majority of U.S. […]
The Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Study: Survey Methodology Report
Roll, S., Bufe, S.., Chun, Y., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2021). The Socioeconomic Impacts of COVID-19 Study: Survey methodology report (Social Policy Institute Research Report). Washington University, Social Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.7936/r4cj-5041
Impact of COVID-19 on Households With Children: Family Hardships and Policy Insights
Muñoz-Rivera, A., Jabbari, J., Roll, S., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on households with children: Family hardships and policy insights (Social Policy Institute Research Report). Washington University, Social Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.7936/1m6t-7y41
Housing Hardships During COVID-19: Disparities Increased by Race/Ethnicity and Homeowner Status
Fox-Dichter, S., Chun, Y., Roll, S., Kristensen, K., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2021). Housing hardships during COVID-19: Disparities increased by race/ethnicity and homeowner status (Social Policy Institute Research Report). Washington University, Social Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.7936/52dc-wx52
Timely and Well-Targeted Financial Assistance during Covid-19
The Social Policy Institute (SPI) at Washington University in St. Louis partnered with PerkUp Financial Health LLC, a financial services technology company, to study an emergency financial assistance program offered to employees of three hotels in New Orleans, LA who have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. PerkUp serves as a technology hub for a […]
Data for Social Impact: Roundtable Discussion Summary Report
To inform the Data Science for Social Impact initiative, SPI hosted a series of public roundtable discussions in partnership with the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, data.org, and the St. Louis Regional Data Alliance in 2021. This report documents the information gathered at the first two discussions.
Financial Capability and Asset Building: Achievements, Challenges, and Next Steps
Johnson, L., Sherraden, M. S., McClendon, G., Birkenmaier, J., Frey, J., Callahan, C., Huang, J., & Rothwell, D. (2021). Financial Capability and Asset Building: Achievements, challenges, and next steps (CSD Conference Report No. 21-11). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/vnr6-ys64
A Long-Term Experiment on Child Development Accounts: Update and Impacts of SEED for Oklahoma Kids
Huang, J., Beverly, S. G., Clancy, M. M., Schreiner, M., & Sherraden, M. (2021). A long-term experiment on Child Development Accounts: Update and impacts of SEED for Oklahoma Kids (CSD Research Report No. 21-07).
Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/e8mf-p262
Saving for a Rainy Day: Making it Easier for Employees to Build Emergency Savings
In this study, we examined Onward, an employer-based mobile app that enables workers to save via payroll deduction and receive financial education and coaching as a means to address financial challenges such as difficulty paying bills on time, managing debt, and accruing savings. An important feature of Onward is that employees can save automatically through […]
Financing Workers’ Health Care Cash Flow Needs: A Pilot Study
MedPut offers a way for employees to pay their out-of-pocket health care expenses through payroll deducted or Health Savings Account (HSA) payments capped at 5% of gross pay. Employees that use MedPut are much more likely to report having problems paying medical bills and to report putting off health care due to cost concerns. Nearly […]
Employer-Sponsored Financial Planning: A Study of the Brightside Platform
In this report, we explore employee usage trends of Brightside, an employee financial health platform that is designed to improve the financial health of working families. Using this platform, employees can open “cases” to address a financial need or goal they have. Brightside connects these employees with financial assistants who, in turn, connect the employees […]
In the Community: Over 25 Years of Inquiry, Innovation, and Impact
Center for Social Development. (2021). In the community: Over 25 years of inquiry, innovation, and impact (CSD Report No. 20-01). Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/2n6h-jt55
COVID-19 and the Future of Volunteering for Development: Findings from a Study Conducted for the International Forum for Volunteering in Development
Perold, H., Mwathi Mati, J., Alum, C., Lough, B. J., (2021, February). COVID-19 and the future of volunteering for development: Findings from a study conducted for the International Forum for Volunteering in Development [Research Report]. International Forum for Volunteering in Development. https://forum-ids.org/2021/03/covid-19-and-the-future-of-volunteering-for-development-research-report/
Accountable Policing: Policies to Advance the Personal Safety of Black Boys and Young Men
Motley, R. O., Jr., Finner, A., Walker, M., & Joe, S. (2020, June). Accountable policing: Policies to advance the personal safety of Black boys and young men (Race and Opportunity Lab Brief Report No. 3). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development, Race and Opportunity Lab. https://doi.org/10.7936/b0kj-hn71
Child Development Accounts in the COVID-19 Crisis: Lessons from the Great Recession
Sherraden, M., Clancy, M. M., Huang, J., & Beverly, S. G. (2020). Child Development Accounts in the COVID-19 crisis: Lessons from the Great Recession (CSD Research and Policy Report No. 20-11). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/c5dg-qz60
The Impact of the Gig-Economy on Financial Hardship among Low-Income Families
New work arrangements coordinated by gig-economy platforms offer workers discretion over their work schedules at the expense of traditional worker protections. We empirically measure the impact of expanding access to gigs on worker welfare, with a focus on low-income families. We are interested in the likelihood that a family experiences hardship, meaning they fail to […]
When a job is not enough: Employee financial wellness and the role of philanthropy
Employee financial wellness programs provide workplace products and services such as financial coaching and small-dollar credit products that may help employees address the various challenges that are at the root of their financial stress. This report is intended to offer guidance to grant makers to understand the role philanthropy can play in promoting the development […]
Will I Be Able to Cast My Ballot? Race, Income, and Voting Access on Election Day
McClendon, G. G., Pitzer, K., Sherraden, M., & Aguilar, A. (with Lieberman, D.). (2019). Will I be able to cast my ballot? Race, income, and voting access on Election Day (CSD Research Report No. 19-36). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/y86s-7q32
Dependent care FSAs: Policy proposals to level the playing field for low- to moderate-income parents
This research was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.The authors are grateful to Don Baylor at the Annie E. Casey Foundation […]
Dependent care FSAs: The uneven playing field for employers and workers
This research was funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. We thank them for their support but acknowledge that the findings and conclusions presented in this report are those of the authors alone, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Foundation.The authors are grateful to Don Baylor at the Annie E. Casey Foundation […]
Healing Policies for Black Boys and Young Men in St. Louis: Priorities in 2019
Joe, S., Motley, R., Ivory, A., Finner, A., & Frederick, J. (2019). Healing policies for Black boys and young men in St. Louis: Priorities in 2019 (Race and Opportunity Lab Brief Report No. 2). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development, Race and Opportunity Lab. https://doi.org/10.7936/a3gh-8d26
Social Mobility: The Necessary Focus of St. Louis Investment in Black Males
Joe, S., & Motley, R. (2019, February). Social mobility: The necessary focus of St. Louis investment in Black males (Race and Opportunity Lab Brief Report No. 1). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Cen¬ter for Social Development, Race and Opportunity Lab. https://doi.org/10.7936/s7h3-ct03
Promoting Savings at Tax Time: Insights from Online and In-Person Tax Preparation Services
Davison, G., Frank-Miller, E., Roll, S. P., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2018). Promoting savings at tax time: Insights from online and in-person tax preparation services (CSD Research Report No. 18-33). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/pnr2-vf30
The Thread That Binds: Volunteerism and Community Resilience
UN Volunteers [United Nations Volunteers Programme]. (2018). The thread that binds: Volunteerism and community resilience (2018 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report). Retrieved from https://www.unv.org/sites/default/files/2018%20The%20thread%20that%20binds%20final.pdf
Global Trends in Volunteering Infrastructure
Grandi, F., Lough, B. J., & Bannister, T. (2018). Global trends in volunteering infrastructure [Report]. Bonn, Germany: United Nations Volunteers.
Refund to Savings 2015–2016: Field Experiments to Promote Tax-Time Saving in Low- and Moderate-Income Households
Roll, S. P., Davison, G., Grinstein-Weiss, M., Despard, M. R., & Bufe, S. (2018). Refund to Savings 2015–2016: Field experiments to promote tax-time saving in low- and moderate-income households (CSD Research Report No. 18-28). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K72J6BD5
Faculty Perspectives on Financial Capability and Asset Building in Social Work Education: A Research Report
Sherraden, M. S., Huang, J., Johnson, L., Dore, P. Birkenmaier, J., Loke, V., & Hageman, S. (2018). Faculty perspectives on financial capability and asset building in social work education: A research report (CSD Research Report No. 18-14). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7RV0N7P
Annual Report on the Head Start Family Financial Capability Program: 2015–2016
Curley, J., & Robertson, A. S. (2017). Annual report on the Head Start Family Financial Capability Program: 2015–2016 (CSD Research Report No. 17-32). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7416WMX
Statewide Child Development Account Policies: Key Design Elements
Clancy, M. M., & Beverly, S. G. (2017). Statewide Child Development Account policies: Key design elements (CSD Policy Report No. 17-30). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7G44PS2
Employee Financial Wellness Programs Project: Comprehensive Report of Findings
Frank-Miller, E., Covington, M., Despard, M. R., Hannon, G., & Grinstein-Weiss, M. (2017). Employee Financial Wellness Programs project: Comprehensive report of findings (CSD Research Report No. 17-31). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K7S46RFZ
Assessing Retirement Needs and Interest in myRa: Findings From the Refund to Savings Initiative
Roll, S. P., Oliphant, J. E., Perantie, D. C., Grinstein-Weiss, M., & Davison, G. (2017). Assessing retirement needs and interest in myRA: Findings from the Refund to Savings Initiative (CSD Research Report No. 17-16). St. Louis, MO: Washington University, Center for Social Development. https://doi.org/10.7936/K74749DH
Assessing Global Learning: Global Engagement Survey
Reynolds, N. P., Hartman, E., Lough, B. J., & Toms, C. (2017). Assessing global learning: Global Engagement Survey [Report]. Haverford, PA: Haverford College, Center for Peace and Global Citizenship, GLOBALSL.
Guideposts for the Era of Smart Decarceration
Pettus-Davis, C., Epperson, M., & Grier, A. (2017, February). Guideposts for the era of smart decarceration [Report]. Tallahassee, FL: Florida State University College of Social Work, Institute for Justice Research and Development, Washington University Center for Social Development, and University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.
Global Partners for Sustainable Development: The Added Value of Singapore International Foundation Volunteers
Lough, B. J. (2016). Global partners for sustainable development: The added value of Singapore International Foundation volunteers [Report]. Singapore: Singapore International Foundation.
Delaying Tax Refunds for Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credit Claimants
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 requires the IRS to delay tax refunds for taxpayers who claim an earned income tax credit or additional child tax credit on their returns until at least February 15. The delay could help the IRS better check claims for these credits. But this new requirement will […]