This proposal seeks to identify how characteristics of children may affect labor market and mental health outcomes of their mothers. Data from the child supplements of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) and the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY), as well as data from the Women's Employment Study (WES), housed at the Center on Poverty, Risk, and Mental Health, will be used investigate the effects of child characteristics, such as health problems, disabilities, or behavioral problems, on maternal outcomes, such as mental health, employment, and earnings. A variety of statistical techniques will be used in order to control for potential ways in which mothers and their children may be affecting each other simultaneously. Additionally, this study will test for mediating influences of income and marital status on the links between child characteristics and maternal outcomes. This research will shed light on the role that children play in influencing the employment and mental health outcomes of their mothers, allowing policy-makers to better understand what factors may hinder the progression from welfare to work among low-income women, and to develop programs that are more tailored to the needs of these women.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD)
Type
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (F32)
Project #
5F32HD008627-02
Application #
6343126
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SNEM-3 (01))
Program Officer
Evans, V Jeffery
Project Start
2000-01-17
Project End
Budget Start
2001-01-17
Budget End
2001-07-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$21,159
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Department
Type
Schools of Social Work
DUNS #
791277940
City
Ann Arbor
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48109
Johnson, Rucker C; Kalil, Ariel; Dunifon, Rachel E (2012) Employment patterns of less-skilled workers: links to children's behavior and academic progress. Demography 49:747-72
Dunifon, Rachel; Kalil, Ariel; Bajracharya, Ashish (2005) Maternal working conditions and child well-being in welfare-leaving families. Dev Psychol 41:851-9
Dunifon, Rachel; Kowaleski-Jones, Lori (2002) Who's in the house? Race differences in cohabitation, single parenthood, and child development. Child Dev 73:1249-64