Are You Kidding Me?

Jan 15 2025 117 ep. 24 mins 57

Are You Kidding Me? Podcast artwork

Sometimes the very strategies meant to help children have the opposite effect. Join AEI’s Naomi Schaefer Riley and Ian Rowe as they look behind the headlines at the public policies and cultural agendas driving child welfare and education. Rowe and Riley bring to light practices that will make you ask, “Are you kidding me?”

Government News Kids & Family

Copy RSS

Subscribe on Podcast Addict

Lynn Johnson on Child Welfare Priorities for the New Administration

Jan 15 2025 29 mins

What will a new administration in Washington mean for American children, particularly the most vulnerable? This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Lynn Johnson, founder of All In Fostering Futures and former Assistant Secretary of the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) during the first Trump administration. Lynn explores the federal government's role in influencing child

George Borjas on Mortality Rates Among Black Infants

Dec 11 2024 21 mins

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in her dissent on the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in 2023, cited a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) concluding that black infants are more likely to survive if they are cared for by black doctors than white doctors. But a recent study using the same data suggests that race was not the real fa

Catherine Pakaluk on Population Decline and the Women Choosing Large Families

Nov 26 2024 29 mins

How do we combat historically low fertility rates? While having fewer children has been correlated with higher rates of education among women, a significant group of highly educated women are still choosing to have big families. What is different about these women, and what can they teach us about the nature of parenthood and the importance of children?This week, Naomi and Ian are

Sixto Cancel on Upgrading Technology in Child Welfare

Nov 13 2024 23 mins

Much like other governmental agencies, child welfare systems are long overdue for a digital upgrade. But how can we ensure the technological tools implemented truly equip caseworkers and supervisors to meet the needs of children and families?This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Sixto Cancel, the founder and CEO of Think of Us, a tech nonprofit working to reform the child welfare

Bruce Henderson on Challenging the Conventional Wisdom about Residential Care for Foster Youth

Oct 29 2024 25 mins

Because of the Family First Prevention Services Act passed in 2017, residential care facilities, or “group homes,” for foster youth have lost significant funding—leading to the closure of many residential treatment options. Many advocates of the policy believe that placement with families are always the best option for kids. But what about the numerous foster youth who report

Christine Rosen on How Technology Replaces Experiences

Oct 15 2024 23 mins

Technological innovations are often sold to the public as ways to make life easier. But what if the increasing prevalence of technology in our lives is actually crowding out human experiences that are integral to children’s development and well-being?This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by AEI Senior Fellow Christine Rosen to discuss her new book, The Extinction of Experience. Chr

Savannah Nelson on Breaking Intergenerational Cycles of Abuse

Oct 01 2024 15 mins

When parents perpetuate abuse against their children, it is all too likely that they themselves were also victims of abuse. Children who have experienced maltreatment face significant barriers to flourishing when they reach adulthood, but with support and the right tools, it is possible for individuals to make different choices and break the cycle of abuse in their family. This wee

Carolyn D. Gorman on School-Based Mental Health Initiatives

Sep 11 2024 31 mins

Concerns about a mental health crisis among young people have produced broad initiatives to improve overall mental well-being or “prevent” mental illness. But what evidence do we have that these programs are producing desirable outcomes? This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Carolyn Gorman, the Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute. In a new report to be released o

Rafael Mangual on Civil Rights and Child Welfare

Aug 21 2024 29 mins

Policymakers, researchers, and activists in the child welfare field frequently point to racial disparities within the system, as evidence of the systemic bias. But what are the true causes of these disparities? And how should governmental bodies tasked with protecting civil rights understand this issue?This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Rafael Mangual, Nick Ohnell Fellow at the

Joe Knittig on Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Aug 07 2024 23 mins

In 1996, Rev. W.C. Martin and his wife partnered with 22 families in their 100-person congregation to adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place children in the Texas foster care system. A recent film, Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot, tells the stories of these families and the inspiring results of their efforts. This week, Naomi and Ian are joined by Joe Knittig, CEO of Care