School of Social Work faculty members Michal Grinstein-Weiss and Andréa Taylor partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Abt Associates, to plan and facilitate a July 30 Washington, D.C. forum on asset building research. The forum convened over 40 asset building experts from across the country, including researchers, policy makers and community practitioners.
School of Social Work data analyst Clinton Key and MSW research assistant Laurie Graham also attended the forum. Grinstein-Weiss, Taylor and Graham are now writing proceedings from the forum for HHS/ACF which will include recommendations for future research and will be shared widely with the field.
The forum was held in conjunction with the Assets for Independence 2010 Conference, hosted by ACF July 27-30. Grinstein-Weiss and Taylor also planned two breakout sessions, “Asset Building Around the World” and “Innovations in Asset Building,” for the main conference. In the international session, Taylor presented her policy research on matched savings accounts in Canada, and research assistant Krista Holub presented research she conducted with Grinstein-Weiss on a matched savings account pilot program in Israel.