Working Paper: NBER ID: w16915
Authors: Sara Markowitz; Alison Evans Cuellar; Ryan M. Conrad; Michael Grossman
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to empirically estimate the propensity for alcohol-related policies to influence rates of entry into foster care and the length of time spent in foster care. Alcohol consumption is believed to be major contributing factor to child maltreatment, associated with an increased likelihood of abuse and longer durations once in foster care. We analyze a panel of state-level foster care entry rates over time, followed by a duration analysis of individual-level cases. The alcohol regulations of interest include beer, wine, and liquor taxes and prices, and a measure of alcohol availability. Overall, these alcohol control policies appear to have limited power to alter foster care entry rates and duration once in care. We find that higher alcohol taxes and prices are not effective in reducing foster care entry rates, however, once in foster care, the duration of stay may be influenced with higher taxes, particularly when the entry was a result of an alcohol abusing parent.
Keywords: Alcohol Policies; Foster Care; Child Maltreatment; Public Health
JEL Codes: I0; J1; K0
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| alcohol consumption (L66) | child maltreatment (J13) |
| higher alcohol taxes (H29) | foster care entry rates (J13) |
| higher alcohol taxes (H29) | duration in foster care (C41) |
| beer prices (L66) | exit from foster care (J26) |
| liquor outlets (L66) | duration in foster care (C41) |