It’s tough to support a family in today’s economy. Wages have stagnated for most working people, while the cost of raising children continues to increase. It’s especially tough for women, who face a gender wage gap that has not budged in nearly a decade and who make up the vast majority of single parents, as well as the majority of people in low-wage jobs. For parents in the low-wage workforce, even a full-time job may not be enough to lift their children out of poverty. Their employers may give them only a few days’ notice of their work schedules, which can have too few hours one week and too many the next, wreaking havoc on child care arrangements. And despite the Affordable Care Act’s important advances, some working families may still lack health insurance and may face other barriers to accessing health care, especially reproductive health care. This denies women good health, the economic security that comes with it, and the opportunity to control their lives at the most basic level.

Working families need policies that will set them up to earn a good living and thrive. They are looking for advocates and legislators to advance policies that will level the playing field, promote equal opportunities for everyone, and ensure that the next generation can succeed.