The importance of stable environments and relationships in promoting children’s well-being has emerged as a critical area of concern. Researchers in this project explore the pathways and domains through which instability can affect children’s development and future success. These include research on instability in children’s lives overall; research in key domains such as employment, income/assets and taxes, education and child care, social networks, parenting and family composition, housing, food insecurity, health, and the public safety net; and research on instability for special populations such as children of immigrants, children facing residential instability, children and child welfare, and children of incarcerated parents.
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The pandemic has dealt a major blow to parents’ ability to meet their children’s basic needs.
Although the existing food safety net plays a critical role in stabilizing millions of American children’s access to food, notable gaps leave certain groups of children vulnerable.
Gaps in the housing safety net, coupled with the affordable housing crisis, mean many children face housing instability that threatens their healthy development
These steps can help reduce gaps in the affordability and availability of the health safety net and mend the web of stabilizing supports for children to thrive.