Supporting Parents in Low-Wage Jobs and Their Children

Millions of parents across the country work in jobs where low wages, unfair scheduling practices, and minimal benefits make it difficult to meet both work and caregiving responsibilities.  And the parents most likely to find themselves in low-wage jobs are women — disproportionately women of color and immigrant women.

Unpredictable work hours, nonstandard hours, rigid attendance policies with limited access to paid leave, and inadequate paychecks create unimaginable stress for parents, and make it difficult to provide their children with the high-quality early care and education they need to succeed in school and beyond. All too often, despite their best efforts, parents’ low wages and work conditions undermine their children’s chances for success.

• Set Up To Fail: When Low-Wage Work Jeopardizes Parents’ and Children’s Success is a groundbreaking report that draws on academic and policy research as well as workers’ own stories to describe the interconnected challenges faced by low-wage parents in meeting their work and family responsibilities.
• Set Up for Success: Supporting Parents in Low-Wage Jobs and their Children is an agenda for action that recommends two-generational policies, practices, and strategies to improve the lives of low-wage working parents and their children — and provides examples that have been advanced by different stakeholders.
• This series of brief fact sheets is designed to help advocates highlight the cross-generational impact of parents’ work conditions on children’s well-being and strengthen support for policies and practices that can make a real difference in working families’ lives.
  • Set Up for Success: Why Fair Schedules Are Critical for Working Parents and Their Children’s Well-Being
  • Set Up for Success: Why Early Care and Education Policies Must Address Low-Wage Working Parents’ Needs