Foundation for Child Development Publishes New Index on the Economic Stability of the American Family
In new research funded by the Foundation for Child Development, Children’s Experience with Parental Employment Insecurity and Family Income Inequality, Donald J. Hernandez and Jeffery S. Naprierala have created a new index that provides a more accurate picture of the economic health of families and the ability of parents to invest in their children’s development.
Employment insecurity revealed in this new index is a better measure than unemployment. Authored by Donald J. Hernandez and Jeffery S. Naprierala, the Index of Parental Employment Insecurity reveals that middle- and low-income parents have experienced income insecurity since 2000, long before the Great Recession. This greatly accelerated instability and inequality in the resources parents could devote to their child’s development, such as higher-quality early care and education, access to better schools, nutritious food and health care. The Index also points to the opportunity to improve existing tax policies that provide families with the help they need to invest in their children...