Loren M. Beard
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About Loren
Loren Beard is a Harvard College Fellow who received their PhD in Sociology from the University of Chicago in 2025. Their research leverages quantitative and qualitative methods to examine the social and structural determinants of child and family well-being. Their dissertation, for instance, identifies how youth aging out of child welfare navigate system age cutoffs amidst social precarity and destabilized social ties. In related articles, published in outlets like Social Science & Medicine, Sociological Forum, and Children & Youth Services Review, they study how social policies shape the health and well-being of children and families.
Contributions
Healthcare Should be Family Support, not Family Surveillance
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Publications
Examines the impact of social environments on youth’s mental health and resilience to identify strategies for improving youth suicide prevention in schools and communities.
Examines the overrepresentation of youth with mental health conditions in the child welfare system, who face higher odds of reentry after reunifying with their families. Finds that state-level supports, like Medicaid expansion can unexpectedly contribute to heightened reentry as well.
In response to widespread policy changes prioritizing family reunification in this region, identifies how parents and children renegotiate their relationships as children return home from state institutions. Argues that while family reunification better supports child well-being, parents are often not adequately prepared to respond to their children’s needs upon their return.
Identifies how pre-orientation programs can foster self-advocacy skills among first-generation, low-income students during their transition to college.