Maryland’s Longevity Plan: How One State Could Help Redefine Aging in America
With federal cuts looming, Mark Swartz explores Maryland’s bold aging plan focused on care, housing, and economic opportunity.
People- & Family-Centered Policy
Beth Macy Explores how to Bridge Divides in Families Fractured by Angry Politics
Journalist Beth Macy talks with Brigid Schulte about her new memoir, "Paper Girl," and what she learned returning to her hometown of Urbana, Ohio — where family, political division, and the collapse o…
Closer to the Pain, Closer to Solutions: On Paid Leave, States Are Showing Us the Way
National paid family and medical leave is the goal, but in the meantime, state policy innovations and improvements provide evidence and hope
Holding It Together: Filmmaker Cameron Kit on Women, Work, and the Child Care Crisis
A woman with a long ponytail, wearing black leggings, and a black sweatshirt, pulls an orange cart through a hardware store aisle sto…
Child Care Reporting Grants: Frequently Asked Questions
Better Life Lab reporting grants frequently asked questions.
Closing Early Intervention Service Gaps to Infants is Both Policy and Practice
Automatic eligibility policies can help serve more infants and families with EI, but implementation is critical.
New Reporting Grants Aim to Strengthen and Elevate Caregiving Coverage
Better Life Lab's care reporting grants supported journalists and storytellers covering innovations in child care, disability, elder,…
Breaking Out of a Gendered Box: Centering What’s Most Human When Writing About Work, Family, and Care
How people in the U.S. perceive, experience, and discuss the impact of gender roles in work, family, and care contexts.
The Practice of Democracy Through Citizen Assemblies
In the wake of political violence, citizen assemblies offer a community-led path to renew democracy and reclaim public voice.
Explainer: The FAMILY Act of 2025
Key parameters in the FAMILY Act, a comprehensive paid leave bill, would help to provide the financial stability people need.
Gen Z Doesn’t Need ‘Severance’—They Need Shared Spaces for Work and Care
Gen Z wants real work-life balance. Georgia Norton explores how co-located work and child care could be the key to making it possible.
A State-by-State Summary of Prospective Payments Implementation Approaches
The New Practice Lab offers resources for states implementing new federal requirements changing how they pay child care providers.
In “Mom’s Hierarchy of Needs,” Health and Happiness Mean Energy, Not Time Management
Moms in the United States are struggling. Leslie Forde says they have to start doing less.