The Bureau of Labor Statistics released a spotlight web feature that provides statistics about wages and jobs in the United States. The feature pulls data from the Occupational Employment Statistics program and emphasizes STEM jobs. Users are able to view spotlight occupational data by required educational level.

The Pew Research Center outlines the characteristics of U.S. fathers who lived with their children younger than 18 in 2012 and did not work outside the home. The report juxtaposes this information with counterparts in earlier years and includes Census data about this population since 1989. Authors of the report also compare the characteristics of stay-at-home fathers with fathers who work for pay outside the home, as well as with stay-at-home mothers.

The Federal Reserve Board released a report that explores the ongoing decline of the labor force participation rate in the United States. The report provides analyses of the sources that may have contributed to the decline in the participation rate over the last decade and outlines a number of policy implications.

This study sought to examine the effect of prenatal poverty on the birth weight of infants (as birth weight can be a predictor for a range of outcomes for children) and subsequently, the effect that work-based welfare assistance, such as the EITC and TANF, has on maternal and infant health. The study found that there is a causal link between prenatal poverty and low birth weights, finding that state EITCs relieve prenatal poverty and indicated increased birth weights in babies born to mothers who received an earned income tax credit. However, the study found mixed results for TANF receipt and its effect on birth weights.

This brief from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities provides a broad overview of research and evidence of the positive effect of public benefit programs on poverty rates in the U.S. Programs highlighted include SNAP, Medicaid, and refundable tax credits with a discussion of the current support for low income working families (versus historical policies which did not incentivize work). To conclude, the brief provides research citing improved long-term outcomes for children whose families are supported by public benefit programs. Two appendices provide charts with the number of people kept above the poverty in each state; an interesting and potentially helpful resource for policymakers and program administrators.

This data report from Child Trends provides updated information and recent data related to TANF and its outcomes for children. A summary of trends is provided as well as a series of graphs offering both longitudinal data and point in time data from fiscal year 2010. Various studies are cited which offer both mixed results when examining TANF’s effect on child poverty.

Child Trends released a report that states more than one in five children in the United States lived in households that were food insecure in 2013. The report outlined the effects of food insecurity on children, as well as provided information about the prevalence of this issue among different demographics in the United States.

The Center for Law and Social Policy released a report that analyzed 2013 Census data and determined that the national poverty rate fell by half of a percentage point. Authors of the report noted that poverty for children was down by almost two percentage points, but still noted that children and young adults still face the greatest risks. The report includes a series of next steps to further address poverty among children, young adults, and families, including strengthening the safety net, ensuring parents can work and raise children, and improving pathways to education and careers.

The Administration for Children and Families released a resource guide for healthy marriage and responsible fatherhood grantees that allows users to search curricula by a variety of facets including: implementation characteristics, targeted audience, and topics covered. Users are able to compare curricula in a table to determine which information will best suit their needs.

From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this report provides an overview of benefits to the proposed expansion of the Child Tax Credit- such an expansion could benefit 13 million children across the country. The families that would benefit from the expansion would include children in families where a parent works throughout the year and children in families that include individuals with disabilities.