Time to Unstick Ourselves from 1971
The child care debate hasn't been touched since the 70s. Americans need more.
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Big ideas, bold solutions. Explore the latest research, analysis, and policy insights from our experts.
The Care Disconnect: Americans Misjudge Care Realities, But Know Families Need Help
A new Better Life Lab poll finds a gap between the realities of U.S. elder and child care and public perception of them.
Vermont Needed Child Care; Here’s How They Got It
This report traces Vermont’s successful campaign for near-universal child care, detailing the coalition-building and organizing effort.
To Appeal to “Middle America,” Creatives and Studios Should Focus on Authentic Work, Family, and Care Stories
Rural, Midwestern, and Southern U.S. Viewers Want to See Work and Family Issues on Screen
In a segmented media and cultural environment, the demand for relatable work-family depictions is universal.
What Parents of Young Kids Want: Insights from the 2026 National Parent Survey
A new survey of U.S. parents with young children reveals what parents want—from how they want to spend their time to what they hope for the future.
Why isn’t summer camp free?
Despite being a critical form of childcare for working parents, summer camp remains a costly private expense that lacks the public funding and infrastructure of the K-12 school system. This gap leaves…
Siemens had a wildly popular childcare center. Then it shut it down.
The abrupt closure of a beloved on-site childcare center at a Siemens campus underscores the precarious nature of employer-sponsored care. As companies downsize or shift to hybrid models, families are…
Exporting Our Elders
For many families, the soaring costs of long-term memory care create a devastating financial and emotional burden that outpaces personal savings. As the aging population grows, these systemic gaps lea…
Mothers in Wisconsin and Denmark face vastly different childcare realities
A comparison of motherhood in Wisconsin and Denmark reveals the vast divide between a system of high costs and career penalties versus one of state-funded support. These differing policy choices shape…
Jordan Carlos on Choreplay: Saving Your Marriage Through the Division of Labor
Better Life Lab's Haley Swenson interviews standup comic and TV writer Jordan Carlos about his new book for men on sharing the invisible work of family life.
Explainer: Paid and Unpaid Leave Policies in the United States
A short primer on private-sector workers’ access and use of federal unpaid leave through the FMLA and an introduction to state programs.
Explainer: Paid Leave Benefits and Funding in the United States
A short primer on state paid family and medical leave programs across 13 states and Washington, DC.
Shifting Immigration Policies Are Changing Daily Life for Child Care Providers
Changing immigration policies are creating fear and uncertainty for child care providers and the families they serve. Across the country, providers say attendance is dropping and routines are being di…
Pay Equity Fund for D.C.’s Early Educators Faces Possible Elimination
Washington, D.C.’s pay equity fund for early educators may be on the chopping block, alarming providers who say the program helped stabilize a workforce long plagued by low wages. Advocates warn cuts …