Session: Work and Family Policy and Child Health and Wellbeing (Society for Social Work and Research 29th Annual Conference)

Research consistently demonstrates adverse implications of economic insecurity for children, especially during their early years (Chaudry & Wimer, 2016). Families with young children face additional challenges to make ends meet due to the difficulties of balancing paid work and children's care needs. Despite parents' efforts, more than four in ten American children experience material hardship (National Survey of Children's Health, 2023). Moreover, certain work-care arrangements, chosen from limited options, can pose risks to children's development. This symposium explores how economic insecurity and precarious parental work can shape children's health and well-being and examines the significance of work and family policies to buffer their negative impacts.

We begin with a study examining the distinct predictive power of income poverty and material hardship during early childhood on adolescent health and well-being. This research highlights the unique influence of material hardship in shaping later outcomes, separate from income poverty, with implications for policy targets to reduce the detrimental impacts of economic deprivation on child wellbeing.

The second paper investigates the implications of various types of parental nonstandard work schedules on children's early behavioral development. The findings elaborate our understanding that while certain nonstandard work timings may not directly harm children, others, such as variable and night schedules, can have adverse effects. The study also explores potential social supports to mitigate these negative implications.

Then our attention shifts to studies investigating the impacts of two policies targeting low-income families (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and state-funded prekindergarten (pre-K)), which aim to alleviate food hardship and improve access to early childhood education. The third paper delves into the impact of the generosity of SNAP benefits on children's early childhood development. This study offers evidence highlighting that a higher real value of SNAP benefits improves children's cognitive and socioemotional development.

The last paper assesses the effects of pre-K attendance on children's short-, middle-, and long-term cognitive and socioemotional development. This study shows how pre-K programs' effects evolve across various life stages--from early childhood to young adulthood. It also explores what local characteristics facilitate the long-term impact of pre-K programs. These two studies highlight the critical role of work and family policies in mitigating the negative consequences of economic hardships and the challenges associated with balancing paid work and responsibilities on children.

Our symposium will feature two discussants who will analyze how these studies deepen our understanding of the role of work and family policies in buffering the risks of economic insecurity and parental precarious work during early childhood and setting a foundation for long-term health and development. This symposium will contribute to the literature on economic insecurity, parental work schedules, income support, and early childhood education policies.