Inside New Mexico’s Universal Child Care
New Mexico’s new universal child care system is already reshaping daily life for families by lowering costs and expanding access. Advocates say the program offers a model for what state-level investme…
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Big ideas, bold solutions. Explore the latest research, analysis, and policy insights from our experts.
Child Care Is Buckling
States Want to Help Families. The Child Tax Credit Might Be Their Answer
States are exploring child tax credits as a way to ease financial pressure on families after the expanded federal credit expired. Supporters say these programs can reduce child poverty and improve fam…
Journalism Spotlight: Child Care Pay Equity, Housing Instability, and Death Doula Pay
The latest articles from Better Life Lab staff and journalists we support, bringing work and care challenges and solutions to life to raise awareness and drive action for change.
A Roadmap to Beating the Mental Load
The mental load is gaining attention. Sociologist Leah Ruppanner offers practical tools to overcome it.
Little Nurses: What Happens When Children Take Care of Sick and Disabled Relatives?
In The Guardian, Better Life Lab Story Fellow Feylyn Lewis describes her childhood experience as a "little nurse" to her mother, and the many challenges millions of youth caring for their family membe…
She’s 14 and She’s Moved 26 Times. The U.S. Housing Crisis Has Families like Hers ‘Running in Place’
Outside Atlanta, the Godfreys are caught in a cycle of job loss and eviction. That stress has implications for the kids.
Laura Mauldin on Love, Caregiving, and the Politics of Abandonment
New America Fellow Laura Mauldin spoke about her book In Sickness and In Health.
Spotlighting Gender, Work, Family, and Care at Sundance 2026
Our entertainment initiative was excited to start the year by participating in three official events at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Putting Pregnancy, Abortion, and Care into Context on Screen
TV and film viewers are eager to see more realistic, authentic depictions of reproductive health decisions on screen.
Not All Paid Leave Policies Are Equal
A new report concludes that newer voluntary, optional paid leave policies in several states are not leading to coverage.
10 Top Moments for Care on TV in 2025
From the struggles of parenthood to confronting a cancer diagnosis, Vicki Shabo and Lydia Storie count down the top TV care moments of 2025.
The Impact and Reach of Better Life Lab in 2025
Despite a year marked by political uncertainty and ongoing challenges for working families, the Better Life Lab has made extraordinary strid