Supporting Parents' Employment and Children's Development - Summary

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Abstract

Parents in low-wage jobs lack both the time and resources needed to fill their dual roles of worker and parent. In this summary, the authors outline a “family security” approach that would help parents fulfill their roles effectively. They suggest policies for enabling parents to improve prospects for their children and combine work with child rearing. Among the recommendations are flexible and paid leave policies for working parents, guaranteed child care, and expansion of the Early Head Start program.

Introduction

Parents in low-wage jobs face a double jeopardy: they lack both the time and resources needed to fill their dual roles of worker and parent. Measured against family needs and the high cost of child care, work can seem like a losing proposition to many low-income parents. In the policy world, employment and child development are often discussed separately.We propose new integrated policies—the “Family Security” approach— that encourage and support parents’ work but also promote the health and development of children.

Four Key Child Development Needs

Seven in ten low-income families have at least one working parent.While many families struggle with the right work-family balance, the task is harder for lowincome parents. They have fewer resources to pay for quality child care or social activities, greater vulnerabilities, and less flexibility in their work schedules.

Our framework rests on four key child development needs: stability, health, nurturing, and activity. Children need consistent routines and stable housing, but this can be difficult for parents with irregular schedules and unstable incomes. Children’s physical development depends on a healthy diet and regular doctor visits, but low-income parents may not earn enough to consistently provide healthy food and may not have health insurance. They may work atypical hours that cause them to lose out on time nurturing their children—a critical concern for young kids who need steady parenting. And children need activities and opportunities to play with other kids, but poor families often can’t afford high-quality child care or the cost of clubs, sports, or camps.

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The nonpartisan Urban Institute publishes studies, reports, and books on timely topics worthy of public consideration. The views expressed are those of the authors and should not be attributed to the Urban Institute, its trustees, or its funders.

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