Research Theme: Families

Maternal Employment
and Child Development

This study looks at maternal employment during the first year of life and child well-being, including cognitive and behavioral outcomes of children whose mothers work full-time, compared to those who work part-time or postpone working. The research also explores the ways in which maternal work intersects with child care, maternal mental health, and maternal parenting behavior.

This project uses several sources of data, including the National Lognitudinal Study of Youth - Child Supplement, the NICHD Early Childhood Study, the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Project, and the Panel Study of Indcome Dynamics - Child Supplement. The research is being conducted by NCCF co-director Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Ph.D., in collaboration with Jennifer L. Hill, assistant professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University; Jane Waldfogel, professor at the School of Social Work, Columbia University; and Wen-Jui Han, assistant professor at the School of Social Work, Columbia University.

The findings were published in July 2010 by the Society for Research in Child Development. The study, which provides great news for working mothers, was featured in a variety of print and online media outlets including The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Working Mother Magazine and more.

Funding Sources: William T. Grant Foundation, The National Institute of Child Helalth and Human Development, and the NICHD Family and Child Well-Being Research Network.

Contact: Wen-Jui Han, Ph.D.

Other Current Families Projects

Completed Families Projects