White picket fences, brownstones, housing projects; racially diverse or isolated—what impact does a family’s neighborhood really have on the well-being and opportunities for young people? How much is correlated, and how much is causal? According to this report “rigorous research indicates that neighborhood isolation and distress can contribute to or exacerbate individual and family distress.” This report examines what’s known about poverty, economic security, access to services, and child and family well-being to better understand the neighborhood-family connection. In general, the analysis suggests that neighborhood poverty has a broader influence than racial/ethnic composition but that both affect family and child outcomes.

The Center for Economic and Policy Research refutes the common belief that women are increasingly quitting their jobs when they have children. Rather than opting out to have children, women have been pushed out of the labor market since 2001 because of the recession and slow recovery. The early 2000s recession led to sustained job losses for all women - with and without children at home - and the labor market only just returned to its 2000 employment level in January 2005, nearly four years after the recession began.

Caring for a sick child or bringing home a newborn baby can be daunting responsibilities. Worries about lost income can add to the stress. Rob Capriccioso reports on how paid family leave programs can help.

Reviewed by Nancy Irene Boehm

I really liked author Lisa Robert's style of writing. I was able to read the book quickly and comprehend the contents easily. Her writing is light and enjoyable. It kept my interest through the entire book. The stories were great. The one where she is in labor and trying to finish a thesis had me giggling all day.

The format of the book was excellent, also. As a computer programmer I work with many task lists. The tasks were laid out in detail with time estimates on how long to accomplish the tasks. It would be easy for someone to start a business by just following the task laid out in How to Raise a Family and a Career Under One Roof.

The Center for Law and Social Policy has published two briefs-one on
paid parental leave and the other on paid sick days-in its new series
focusing on the work-life balance. The reports catalogue lessons learned
from policies in place in New Zealand. Despite drastic differences in
labor force size, the United States and New Zealand face many of the
same labor-force challenges, including growing numbers of working
mothers and an aging workforce with fewer workers to support an
increasing number of older citizens. Among the recommendations: making
businesses aware that parental leave is a relatively rare occurrence,
increasing public-private partnerships to encourage business
participation in parental leave policy debates, and general-revenue
financing of parental leave.

The 1996 welfare reform bill connected many single parents to jobs. But how are they faring now? According to the latest posting on the Urban Institute's "Single Parents' Earnings Monitor," the economic downturn undid only part of the gains in employment and wages during 1996-2000. Single mothers' unemployment rate rose from a low of about 6.5 percent in mid-2000 to a high of about 10 percent in mid-2003. Real hourly wages continued to increase, though at a lower pace after 2000 than between 1996 and 2000 -- particularly for the lowest-paid workers.

Seventy percent of American families are headed by either two working parents or a single working parent. Work brings enormous benefits; but most working parents also face difficult trade-offs. The New America Foundation examined the effects of current working conditions on families and found that the lack of flexibility -- in paid leave, telecommuting or nontraditional hours -- has been linked to depression in women. Negative maternal attitudes tend to result in more negative behaviors among kids. Children with parents who works nights or evenings or who lack paid time off typically have lower reading and math test scores. To help keep workers and children healthy and productive, the foundation recommends expanding access to quality child care and adopting policies to encourage businesses to provide more flexible work arrangements and paid leave options. States should also consider altering the school day and school year calendar to meet the needs of parents, without sacrificing children's education.

The Institute for Women's Policy Research reports that nearly half of all workers in the private sector get no paid sick time, and employers are reducing their paid sick time programs. Over 59 million workers have no sick leave. Only about one in every ten low-wage workers is allowed to use paid sick leave to stay home with sick children (11 percent), while more than four in every ten workers in the top wage quartile enjoy this benefit (43 percent).

Although access to maternity/paternity and paid leave is not universal, most working parents age 18 to 54 are employed at jobs that provide both. But those who need paid sick leave the most -- parents of very young children and welfare-to-work parents -- are least likely to have it, according to the Urban Institute. Many in the low-wage workforce lack paid time off, health benefits and opportunities for advancement that enable working parents to take care of their families.

Sometimes they feel lonely. Sometimes they feel angry. Often, they’re confused. But children with military parents serving abroad are finding help—through support groups and programs developed specifically for these situations. CFK explores a few of these services.