| This dissertation is comprised of three essays. Each essay investigates the role and impact of public policy on child and family health and well-being, particularly focusing on public policies affecting families in the period surrounding childbirth. Specifically, I evaluate the impact of infant safe haven laws, paid family leave, and the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program on child and family health and well-being.;In Chapter 2, I estimate the effect of safe haven laws on foster care entrance and infant maltreatment fatalities. Using nationwide data from foster care entrance records and infant death certificates, I find safe havens laws increase entrance into the foster care system due to relinquishment and reduce infant maltreatment fatalities following safe haven legislation enactment. The effects on infant deaths diminish in subsequent years after policy implementation. The fatality effects are driven by infant deaths within 45 and 90 days of birth, infants of non-Hispanic white mothers, and infants with mothers aged 20-29.;Chapter 3 studies the impact of California's paid family leave program on infant and parental health and well-being. I use data from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) to compare the health of parents and their children who are likely eligible for California's paid family leave to several comparison groups consisting of parents and their children who are not eligible. I find California's PFL program modestly improved overall parent-reported child health and maternal mental health. The maternal mental health effects are larger for mothers of less advantaged economic status.;Finally, in Chapter 4, I examine the effect of the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program on maternal breastfeeding and employment decisions. We combine breastfeeding and employment data from the Infant Feeding Practices Study II with a state-level cost of living index for groceries. We find that variation in food costs across states induces participation into the WIC program. WIC participation decreases time spent exclusively breastfeeding by about four weeks, and extends work leave duration by about three weeks. |
