Working Families

Our focus on working families aims to improve workplace programs and policies which reflect the contemporary lives of all families so workers can be both productive employees and responsible family members. We conduct research on conditions and policies that affect working poor families in New Jersey the nation, and offer policy recommendations to help these families achieve economic self-sufficiency. Areas of research and policy expertise include: pay equity, the home-based childcare workforce, paid family leave and paid sick days, degree completion for adult workers, and minimum wage.

Partnerships and Collaborations

Working with the New Jersey Time to Care Coalition, the Center for Women and Work conducts research, outreach, and education on family-friendly workplace practices that provide workers with "time to care."

Family Values at Work Consortium (FVAW) is a consortium of 21 state coalitions focused on earned sick days, family leave insurance and other policies that value families at work.

Working Poor Families Project (WPFP) is a national initiative aimed at assessing state policies and programs that are designed to help low-income working families achieve economic security. The WPFP engages in partnerships with state nonprofit organizations to examine state work force development policies that involve education and skills training for adults, economic development, and work and income supports.

Past Projects

Workplace Practices in Early Care and Education: Funded by the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, the Center for Women and Work conducted research on the management practices and organizational processes in early care and education centers. This study's aim was to understand the process of how childcare directors and early childhood educators in three- and four-year old classrooms make decisions about their work and how that decision-making impacts teachers’ job satisfaction and commitment, employee turnover, and classroom quality.

Destination DC: Funded by the Ford Foundation, the Center for Women and Work conducted research on the migration from El Salvador and the existence of transnational communities in greater Washington, DC.

In the News

CWW's Working Families Program has been cited in print and audio media, in testimonies and other local and national publications.

• Benefits 'evident' in Jersey City paid sick time law, Rutgers study finds
• Consumers Make the Case for Home-Care Provider Training

Reports from CWW Working Families