Parent and Caregiver Well-Being

The following resources provide information on the well-being of parents and caregivers and suggest ways to improve it.

Caregiver Stress Fact Sheet
Office on Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2015)
Highlights the symptoms of caregiver stress for women and provides specific tips to manage caregiver stress.

Child Care Subsidies, Maternal Well-Being, and Child-Parent Interactions: Evidence From Three Nationally Representative Datasets (PDF - 310 KB)
Herbst & Tekin (2012)
Presents study results indicating that mothers who receive child care subsidies experience worse health outcomes and poorer interactions with their children.

Disadvantaged Families and Child Outcomes: The Importance of Emotional Support for Mothers (PDF - 139 KB)
Bandy, Andrews, Moore (2012)
Using available data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s health, this brief analyzes the link between the emotional support that mothers receive -- or do not receive -- in raising their children and their children's development.

Fatherhood: Ongoing Research and Program Evaluation Efforts (PDF – 1,044 KB)
United States Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (2015)
Describes research and evaluation projects related to the Responsible Fatherhood grant program and noncustodial parents, as well as other research related to fathers and fatherhood to promote economic self-sufficiency and social well-being for them and their families.

The Importance of Fathers in the Healthy Development of Children
Author(s)
Office on Child Abuse and Neglect, Children's Bureau
Rosenberg, Jeffrey.;Wilcox, W. Bradford.
Availability View
Download (PDF - 987KB)
Year Published 2006
To carry out their responsibilities of protecting children at risk of maltreatment, CPS caseworkers must effectively engage families that often both present and face great challenges. These can include substance abuse, mental health problems, economic stress, unemployment, separation and divorce, inadequate housing, crime, and incarceration. Figuring out how best to work with and engage these families, always with the safety of and permanency for the child as the goal, is not easy. This manual also speaks to both the opportunities and challenges presented by one participant in the family sagas that CPS caseworkers deal with everyday: the father. Working with fathers who are the perpetrators of child maltreatment is different than working with mothers or other perpetrators. In addition, fathers whose children were victimized by someone else, even fathers not living with their children, can prove to be a valuable ally as the CPS caseworker pursues his or her case planning objectives. Whether the father is the perpetrator or not, the abuse of a child can be a direct affront to how a father views himself as a man and a father. How well a caseworker understands these reactions and feelings and how effectively the caseworker can address them will make a major difference when trying to either help an abusing father become a protecting father or engaging a father as an ally in addressing the family dynamics that made the situation unsafe for the child. Effectively involving fathers in case planning and service provision presents unique challenges for caseworkers. This may explain in part why they often may not include fathers. This manual is also known as, "The Fatherhood Manual," and "The Fatherhood User Manual."

Nine Facts About American Families and Work (PDF - 700 KB)
Council of Economic Advisers (2014)
Explains nine important facts about American family lives and work lives and how interactions between the two impact the U.S. economy. It illustrates the changes that are needed to ensure long-term economic growth, maintain economic competitiveness, improve the well-being of Americans, and make full use of all of America's talents.

Responsible Government: Investing in the Well-Being of Black Fathers, Families and Communities (PDF - 676 KB)
Dressel & Bouchet (2009)
Recommends policy improvements to engage African-American fathers to improve the lives of their children, families, and communities.

Supporting the Mothers: An Exploration of Maternal Health, Well-Being and Support Service Needs for HIV-Positive Mothers (PDF - 120 KB)
Hunter (2009)
Journal of the Association for Research on Mothering, 11(1)
Suggests strategies for improving the health and well-being of HIV-positive mothers by reducing stigma and discrimination, enhancing parenting skills, and increasing access to health care, child care, and other support program needs.

Taking Care of You: Support for Caregivers
KidsHealth (2015)
Offers tips to support caregivers as they care for their children that are seriously ill. Tips include ways parents can decrease caregiver burn out and provides resources for getting additional help.  

The Supporting Healthy Marriage Evaluation: Early Impacts on Low-Income Families (PDF - 1,034 KB)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (2012)
Presents 12-month impact results from a demonstration project designed to strengthen marriages among low-income married couples with children. Impact on family well-being over time is also examined.

Work-Family Supports for Low-Income Families: Key Research Findings and Policy Trends (PDF - 1,249 KB)
Winston (2014)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (2014)
Addresses four areas of work-family policy with particular relevance for the well-being of low-income working parents and their families, including the relative lack of access to supports among lower wage workers; outlines current public and private approaches; describes major potential policy approaches; and proposes useful next steps for research on work-family policies and their implications for low-income families.