Connect for Kids / Child Advocacy 360 / Youth Policy Action Center - Work & Family Life

How Does Family Well-Being Vary Across Different Types of Neighborhoods?

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:25:21 -0500

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.

�Are Women Opting Out? Debunking the Myth�

Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:36:19 -0600

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.

In Need of Leave

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:26:18 -0500

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.

How to Raise a Family and a Career Under One Roof

Tue, 21 Jun 2005 08:41:01 -0500

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.

Fair Leave Practices for Working Parents

Mon, 31 Jan 2005 09:13:10 -0600

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

Single Parents and Labor Market

Wed, 19 Jan 2005 14:19:35 -0600

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.

Children, Families and the 21st Century Workplace

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:57:13 -0500

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.

No Time to be Sick

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 07:33:51 -0600

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).

Getting Time Off: Access to Leave among Working Parents

Fri, 03 Dec 2004 14:21:50 -0600

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.

Supporting Kids with Military Parents

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:24:19 -0500

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.

A Mom's View From Iraq

Thu, 29 Sep 2005 13:22:25 -0500

For parents serving abroad, life is filled with difficult realities�like how to explain why mom or dad has to be gone for so long. As the U.S. enters into year two of the Iraq war, Connect for Kids� Rob Capriccioso talks to Sergeant Roberta Martinez, a mom who�s been there since day one.

Business and Early Care and Education

Tue, 07 Dec 2004 17:39:36 -0600

Forward-looking business leaders care about the early care of young kids, to stabilize a workforce with more full-time young parents and to make sure young children arrive at kindergarten ready to learn. This report describes how business has become more involved in providing family-friendly workforce supports and engaged in child development and school readiness policies and programs.

Early Childhood Education: A Call to Action for the Business Community

Fri, 10 Dec 2004 13:42:22 -0600

Good child care matters for families; it also makes a difference in the bottom line. Noting that too many children are entering school ill-prepared, the Business Roundtable and Corporate Voices for Working Families are urging lawmakers to protect funding for preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds in these tight times. They argue that a government commitment to early childhood education is essential to America's efforts to improve education and develop a world-class workforce.

Mother's Moves from Welfare to Work May Not Hurt Children

Sun, 12 Dec 2004 12:40:36 -0600

In contrast to experimental studies that found negative effects of maternal employment on adolescents' school performance, this March 2003 study found no evidence of harmful effects on adolescents.

Percent of Poor Children Living with Working Parents Drops

Wed, 05 Jan 2005 20:39:06 -0600

In the 1990s, an increasing proportion of poor children were living with working parents, but that trend has reversed. In 2001, the percent of poor children living with working parents fell to 40 percent compared with 43 percent in 2001, according to this February 2003 report by the Child Trends DataBank.