Providing access to tangible resources can strengthen families and communities by avoiding and de-escalating crises, reducing parental stress, increasing access to safe housing and reliable childcare, and ensuring children have the material items…

Employers’ role in creating workplace policies and practices and the work environment has increased relevance for low-wage and historically marginalized workers because these persons often work in occupations with greater job and schedule…

How did the COVID-19 pandemic impact the childcare workforce? This brief analyzes Illinois employment data through 2020 to gain insights on the impact of the global pandemic on childcare workers, who historically have received low wages and…

This brief summarizes potential federal funding sources and programs that can be used to address barriers facing young parents and families, such as unemployment, disruption to education, financial instability, and lack of child care access,…

The merits of job training and apprenticeship programs are well known, but certain populations could stand to benefit more from these valuable tools if apprenticeship programs were expanded. Affordable child care and pre-…

This Urban Institute brief examines the experiences of clients applying for work supports, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, Medicaid, and child care assistance. Applying for these benefits can be a daunting process…

This research brief is from the Institute for Research on Poverty and provides information on how the needs of children can be met while parents are working. Over the past forty years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of mothers…

This research brief discusses the importance of work supports for low-wage earners to maintain and advance in the job market. The National Assembly's Family Strengthening Policy Center outlines the work-plus approach to support workers in the…