Innovative Community Organizations Lead New Efforts to Build Family Economic Security

[news]

[news]

Parents want the best for their children, and constantly work to provide a strong future for their families, whether that's reading a book before bedtime or making sure their children eat nutritious foods. However, many parents face barriers to securing fair employment with good wages and opportunities for growth. We know that parents who are financially secure can better support their families and help ensure their children can succeed in school and in life. Unfortunately, many parents' circumstances make it that much more challenging to raise their children in financially secure homes.

This is especially true for low-income single parents and low-skilled workers, who often face unique barriers to securing good jobs and living wages. These barriers include access to quality child care and inflexible or unpredictable work schedules. Many of these parents also lack the skills, credentials and training needed to secure higher-paying jobs.

The numbers tell us that we aren't doing enough to ensure all workers are receiving the necessary support to give their children the best opportunities to thrive in school and in life. According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Census Bureau,