Reports recent research indicating that children of working mothers do as well in school as the children of mothers who stay at home. (RH)

In order to develop normally, children need emotional involvement and shared activities with one or more adult(s). Public policy in the United States, unlike that of most industrialized societies, is not supportive of family life. (Author/GC)

Recent trends in U.S. families include increased numbers of single-parent families, stepfamilies, teen pregnancies, working mothers, and children living in poverty. Public policy should focus on affordable housing, access to health and child care, education and job training, and jobs that provide adequate income. (SK)

Female socialization, through the influence of gender as a social institution, acts as a powerful constraint on women's involvement in physical recreation. The contribution made to this socialization by young children's play behavior and the link between gender-role conformity and dual career women's lack of leisure are discussed. (IAH)

As women become more independent, the responsibility for family care of children and elderly dependents is being shared by public or private out of home services. It is important, however, that the personal element of care not be lost. (Author/AOS)

Reviews government and private sector programs which have aided in the care and education of preschool children. Given the projected increase in families headed by single working mothers, more funding and better planning should be directed toward such programs. (DM)

This paper examines the societal role of Afghan refugee women, and focuses on options for them. The war, and the ensuing migration to Pakistan of nearly 3.5 million refugees, the majority of whom were women and children, have led to the deterioration of religious tolerance and the rise of more conservative Islamic beliefs, which have placed…

The major theme of American childhood in the 20th century has been the rise and then the beginning decline of modern childhood. The term "modern childhood" refers to a particular constellation of adult attitudes and institutional arrangements, the heart of which is the belief that children should occupy a world of their own, separate from the…

Provides a review and integration of findings on the effects of parenting styles and maternal employment on children's academic achievement. Presents a model in which it is argued that maternal employment status has little, if any, direct effect on children's academic achievement. Suggests maternal employment affects parenting styles, which in…

A former childcare worker addresses the connection between social problems plaguing modern life and society's attitudes toward the role of women and mothering. She describes the detrimental effects on children who are placed in day care at an early age and urges that families abandon materialism and work toward improving the quality of their own…

This document is a summary of the longer document of the same name which was published by the Social Security Administration in response to the changes in American society that have made the traditional male/female roles of lifelong worker/lifelong homemaker no longer representative. The study focused on such issues as dependent's benefits and…

This report in two volumes is the product of a year-long needs assessment undertaken by the Governor of Alabama's Commission for the Alabama Year of the Child. Volume I, which contains an overview and recommendations to the governor and the legislature, includes position papers and letters from the commission and interested citizens. These…