Studies have consistently shown that parental involvement and family engagement programs can positively affect the social, emotional, cognitive, and academic well-being of children. Nevertheless, research has also indicated that many programs are school-based (e.g. back-to-school night, parent-teacher conferences), and have historically…

Reporting on a study of mature women training to work in childcare, this article demonstrates how some women choose to be part-time mothers, workers and students, wanting "the best of both worlds". It presents a theory of integrated lives that contrasts with customary deficit models and shows how a series of reciprocal links bind the…