Lawrence M. Berger

About

I  am Associate Vice Chancellor for Research in the Social Sciences, Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor in the School of Social Work, and former Director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. My research focuses on the ways in which sociodemographic characteristics, and public policies affect child and family wellbeing. I have engaged in studies in: (1) exploring relationships among socioeconomic factors (family structure and composition, economic resources), parentings, children’s development and wellbeing; (2) assessing the impacts of public policies on parental behaviors, and child and family wellbeing. To address these topics, I utilize a variety of advanced statistical techniques to analyze data from a range of large-scale datasets. My work aims to inform public policy in order to improve its capacity to assist families in accessing resources, improving family functioning and child wellbeing. My research is most closely related to CDE’s research areas of Fertility, Families and Households and the Demography of Inequality, and I serve on the CDE Executive Committee.

CDE research theme area affiliations

Demography of Inequality; Fertility, Families, and Households

Selected Publications

Pac, Jessica and Berger, Lawrence M. (in press). “Quasi-Experimental Evidence on the Employment Effects of the 2021 Fully-Refundable Monthly Child Tax Credit.” Journal of Policy Analysis and Management.

Pac, Jessica, Durrance, Christine, Berger, Lawrence M., and Ehrenthal, Deborah. (2023). “Opioid Use During Pregnancy and Infant Health and Wellbeing.” ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 703(1), 106-138.

Pac, Jessica, Collyer, Sophie, Berger, Lawrence M., O’Brien, Kirk, Parker, Elizabeth, Pecora, Peter, Rostad, Whitney, Waldfogel, Jane, and Wimer, Christopher. (2023). “The Effects of Child Poverty Reductions on Child Protective Services Involvement.” Social Service Review, 97(1), 43-91.

Berger, Lawrence M., Panico, Lidia, and Solaz, Anne. (2021). “The Impact of Center-Based Childcare Attendance on Early Child Development: Evidence from the French Elfe Cohort.” Demography, 58(2), 419-450.

Berger, Lawrence M., and Slack, Kristen S. (2020). “Understanding the Contemporary U.S. Child Welfare System(s): Overview and Key Challenges.” ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 629(1), 7-25.

Slack, Kristen S., and Berger, Lawrence M. (2020). “Who Is and Is Not Served by Child Protective Services Systems? Implications for a Prevention Infrastructure to Reduce Child Maltreatment.” ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 629(1), 182-202.

Berger, Lawrence M., and Carlson, Marcia J. (2020). “Family Policy and Complex Contemporary Families: A Decade in Review and Implications for the Next Decade of Research and Policy Practice.” Journal of Marriage and Family 82(1), 478-507.