The study of development across the life span contributes to one of society's most important functions: parenting and fostering the development of the next generation. One of the ways that life-span developmental psychologists contribute to this function is by studying the various social policies implemented by the government and how such policies affect adolescents and children. Does helping poor parents affect the outcomes of their children as well? This issue had been debated for decades and the only way it was resolved was by researching the effects of welfare reform initiatives on children's outcomes.