Parenting

essay

What Programs Can Help Parents in Prison and Their Children?

Around 2.3 million people live in U.S. jails and prisons, and most of them are parents. What are prisons doing to help them be better parents when they get out? It's more than just a policy question—it's a social justice question.

commentary

The Marriage Plot

For more than a quarter century, the U.S. government has been sending an unmistakable message to poor, single mothers: Get married. If America genuinely wants to address poverty and achieve gender equality, this has to change.

Kathryn A. Edwards

blog

Refugees, Women's Health Research, Supporting Incarcerated Parents: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the humanitarian fallout from a Russian invasion of Ukraine, investing in women’s health research, supporting incarcerated parents, and more.

commentary

Married Moms Aren't Striking Workers, but They Are Saying the Same Thing

If we are in the middle of a labor shortage, recruiting people back into the labor force is key to sustaining a recovery. The historic work choices of married mothers reveal a lot about what might lure people back into the workforce.

Kathryn A. Edwards

blog

Four-Day School Weeks, Domestic Terrorism, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the trade-offs of a four-day school week, how to counter domestic violent extremism, racial disparities in who is convicted of more-serious speeding charges, and more.

commentary

Parenting During the Pandemic: Communicating with Children About COVID-19

School and nursery closures, lockdowns, and ongoing pandemic restrictions brought huge changes to children and families. The way parents communicated with their children about these events was vital in helping children to cope.

Lucy Gilder, Emma Leenders

q&a

Mass Incarceration and Parenting from Prison: Q&A with Dionne Barnes-Proby, Celia Gomez, and Monica Williams

One in 10 Black children in the United States has an incarcerated parent. RAND experts are assessing what could be done to better support these parents and, in turn, improve the well-being of their children and families.

Dionne Barnes-Proby @BarnesProby, Celia J. Gomez, et al.

blog

Pandemic Education, Working Mothers, Predicting Cyber Threats: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the urban-rural divide in pandemic education, supporting working moms, what makes a good COVID-19 reopening plan, and more.

commentary

Should Mothers Work? We've Been Asking the Wrong Question

As schools and day cares closed due to the pandemic, millions of women were driven from the labor market. What is it worth to the United States to have mothers in the workforce?

Kathryn A. Edwards

commentary

Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue

Employers and policymakers play a crucial role in ensuring that women are not unnecessarily disadvantaged when they have children. Policies such as access to family leave, job protection, and childcare options can play a large role.

Michaela Bruckmayer, Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman

commentary

Women Are Leaving the Labor Force in Record Numbers

The economic downturn during the pandemic is affecting women workers measurably more than men. There were 2.2 million fewer women in the labor force in October 2020 than there were last October. Investing in childcare and expanding labor laws could keep women employed and buoy the entire economy.

Kathryn A. Edwards

blog

China in 2050, Using Mobile Tools to Track COVID-19, Telemedicine: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on the future of U.S.-China competition, privacy concerns surrounding mobile tools used to track COVID-19, how telemedicine can help patients access specialized care, and more.

commentary

Back to School: Working Parents Will Need Help from Employers

Reopening schools would provide much-needed child care for parents who need to work, help feed 30 million U.S. children, and prevent further inequitable learning losses. But it also means exposing more kids to the virus. How can families and employers prepare for the disruptions that lie ahead?

Charlene A. Wong, Laura J. Faherty @LauraFahertyMD

blog

Protests and Police Reform, Facial Recognition, Gun Policies: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on protests and police reform after the killing of George Floyd, facial recognition bans, gun policies that likely reduce deaths, and more.

commentary

Working Moms at Risk of Being Left Behind in Economic Recovery

Being a working parent was hard enough before the pandemic. If COVID-19 intensifies the perception that parenting is at odds with work, then there may be devastating career consequences for working mothers.

Melanie A. Zaber @MelanieZaber, Kathryn A. Edwards