Online Event: Thursday, December 5, 2024
3 p.m. to 4 p.m. CT

Join the RAND Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute and subject-matter experts to discuss veteran families in America.

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When service members leave the military, they become veterans, retaining social identities and policy relevance albeit under a different name and government agency. However, unlike DoD, VA lacks the statutory authority to provide care or benefits for the bulk of veteran families. While we know a great deal of information about veterans, little is known about veteran households—even though the members of these households play a critical role in supporting the health and well-being of veterans. The authors of a new RAND report, Veteran Families in America, attempt to fill that gap by analyzing data from the American Community Survey, providing valuable context for understanding the social and economic resource environment of veterans and identifying potential gaps and needs compared with nonveteran families.

Veteran Families in America

Veteran households account for around 11 percent of all households in the United States. What is known about these households? And what are the social and economic differences between veteran families and nonveteran families? Download the RAND Report

Presenter

Daniel Schwam is a senior quantitative analyst at RAND. Schwam has contributed to several research efforts as a part of RAND’s Veterans Policy Research Institute on topics including veteran housing cost burden, public perceptions of veterans, and veteran households. Schwam also contributes to research on drug prices, military compensation, military recruiting, and labor market analysis. He holds a B.S. from the University of Delaware, and an M.A. in economics from New York University.

Panelists

Meg Kabat was selected by Secretary Denis McDonough to serve as the chief of staff for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in July 2024. In this role, Kabat helps guide the VA’s mission to serve America’s veterans by directing policy, strategy, operations, and communications in the federal government’s second-largest department. With over 25 years of experience as a licensed clinical social worker, Kabat has worked extensively with veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. In 2003, as a civilian with the U.S. Navy, Kabat served as a social worker and case manager at the National Naval Medical Center. Kabat has received numerous awards, including a Special Recognition Award from Disabled American Veterans, a VA Exemplary Service Award, and a VA Exceptional Service Award. Kabat holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the College of the Holy Cross and a Master of Social Work from the Catholic University of America.

Lee Kelley became the principal director of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy in 2024. In this role, she supports the deputy assistant secretary in overseeing policy, advocacy, and community support for service members and their families. Kelley enlisted in the U.S. Army after 9/11 and served for over five years as a broadcast journalist, reporting on military stories worldwide. She holds a master’s degree in social work from the Catholic University of America, a Master of Communications from the University of Oklahoma, and a B.A. in journalism from Pennsylvania State University.

Moderator

Kayla M. Williams is a former senior policy researcher at RAND focusing on policy support for veterans and service members. Williams was also previously the assistant secretary at the Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. She has served on the Department of Labor Advisory Committee on Veterans’ Employment, Training, and Employer Outreach and the VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans. Williams was an Arabic linguist in the U.S. Army and is the author of two memoirs about her experiences during and after deploying to Iraq. She has an M.A. in international affairs from American University.

Register for This Program

Please register online. This event is open to the public and advance registration is required. Those who register will receive Zoom connection details via email. For more details, please visit the event page.

Contact VeteransInstitute@rand.org with questions about the event.