"David Blau has chosen seven economists to write chapters that review the emerging economic literature on the supply of child care, parental demand for care, child care cost and quality, and to discuss the implications of these analyses for public policy. The book succeeds in presenting that research in understandable terms to policy makers and serves economists as a useful review of the child care literature....provides an excellent case study of the value of economic analysis of public policy issues." —Arleen Leibowitz, Journal of Economic Literature "There is no doubt this is a timely book....The authors of this volume have succeeded in presenting the economic material in a nontechnical manner that makes this book an excellent introduction to the role of economics in public policy analysis, and specifically child care policy....the most comprehensive introduction currently available." —Cori Rattelman, Industrial and Labor Relations Review

Now in its eleventh edition, Family Communication: Cohesion and Change continues to provide students with a foundational, accessible, and inclusive overview of the family communication field. The eleventh edition represents the plurality of today’s families, helping students see themselves and think through how the up-to-date research and theory apply to their lives. It features a more concise narrative with streamlined key concepts that are more straightforward and engaging for students. Now presented in three sections, Communication and Family Lenses, Communication and Family Cohesion, and Communication and Family Adaptability, this edition’s new features include learning objectives for each chapter, Family Portrait interviews with top scholars, a glossary of key definitions, and expanded Family Reflections discussion questions interspersed in the text. This book is ideal for undergraduate courses in family communication, allied subjects in communication studies, family studies, nursing, and social work programs. The accompanying Instructor and Student Resources provide free digital materials designed to test students’ knowledge and save instructor time when preparing lessons. Please visit www.routledgelearning.com/familycommunication for interactive activities, practice quizzes, and more.

With its real-life stories and invitations for reflection and conversation, this book is an ideal professional development resource for pre- and in-service birth–age 3 professionals. The author shares lived experiences of being in four distinctly different baby rooms as a researcher over extended periods of time. She frames each life story around elements of well-being and asks readers to consider whether and how environmental and relational factors supported or hindered the physical, psychological, and emotional well-being of the children and adults. The author encourages readers to see themselves in the stories, to consider how they may have acted in the circumstances described, and to deliberate on their own practices and beliefs. With empathy and respect, McMullen fully conveys an intent to elevate, celebrate, and honor those who spend their days in infant toddler care and education, while examining the critical role all adults in society play in the lives of our youngest citizens. Book Features: Invites personal reflection and discussion with colleagues in the form of prompts and questions after each story.Provides a friendly but scholarly look at the spaces, conditions, and quality of birth-to-age three settings, the area of fastest growing need in early childhood care and education (ECCE). Focuses on the well-being of the adults and children featured in the book, providing a holistic perspective on their needs, motivations, and experiences. Emphasizes a here-and-now perspective in contrast to books that tend to focus primarily on preparing children for future outcomes and accomplishments.

Almost everyone grows up in a family, and family ties play an important role in daily life. But what exactly is a 'family'? What is a 'family tie'? We use the general concept of 'family' in many contexts – in fiction, in talk shows, in law, in politics – and yet one person's family may be strikingly different from another's. This introductory guide sets out to examine the multiple meanings of the family and related concepts. It explores the different roles played by these concepts in our attempts to understand who we are, where we belong, and what we owe to whom, and the relationships between individual, family, and society. Grounded in philosophy and ethics, the book also draws extensively from other disciplines such as law and sociology, discussing the concrete implications of these ideas for issues such as parental love, marriage and divorce, family autonomy, and assisted reproduction.

Spanning the United Kingdom, United States and Australia, this comparative study brings maternal workers’ politicized voices to the centre of contemporary debates on childcare, work and gender. The book illustrates how maternal workers continue to organize against low pay, exploitative working conditions and state retrenchment and provides a unique theorization of feminist divisions and solidarities. Bringing together social reproduction with maternal studies, this is a resonating call to build a cross-sectoral, intersectional movement around childcare. Maud Perrier shows why social reproduction needs to be at the centre of a critical theory of work, care and mothering for post-pandemic times.

Discover the profound impact of family relationships on a child′s development in this insightful and comprehensive textbook. This engaging resource delves into the intricate dynamics of early family interactions, with features such as: Chapter objectives Reflective questions Case studies Chapter summaries Annotated further reading Explore key topics like adoption and fostering, abusive family relationships, and hospitalization through an interdisciplinary lens. Drawing on the latest research and practical examples, each chapter provides a rich understanding of the complexities surrounding early relationships. This book offers a straightforward guide to current theoretical debates surrounding parenting and the family, with opportunities to learn from experts with practical experience in education, health, law and social services.

This book brings together the work of researchers from around the globe around the topic of children’s first transitions to early care and education. It discusses political and sociocultural contexts, theories, and ideologies around the theme. The book offers perspectives and findings on adult expectations around a child’s first transition, infant emotional experiences, the role of space, the part that key objects play in infant transitions, and the role of time. It also discusses age of first entry, routines and rhythms of the institutions, and the future expectations of those involved. The book takes a culturally responsive approach, revealing at times striking commonalities across countries, and at other points distinct differences in the people, environments, orienting pedagogies, and policies that inform an infant’s transition into care.

This book develops a care justice framework to critique and disrupt current policies and reframe a policy blueprint for elevating a just organization of care for unpaid family caregivers and underpaid home care workers assisting older adults. In doing so, Hooyman invites readers to envision a society that fully values the essential work of care. The book is distinctive in its analysis of the interrelationships among both types of care laborers, who often face structural constraints on their decision to care and whose work is devalued and marginalized. Their care work affects every member of society, but it is generally invisible to others, and its economic value is rarely recognized by policymakers. How care work is organized and unrewarded typically has the most financial, physical, and emotional costs for women, people of color, and immigrants across the life course. Inequities for care workers by race, immigrant status, class, and sexual orientation are rooted in systemic racism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, and homophobia. In this book, policy priorities and change strategies are reframed to attain the six core components of a care justice framework, which include fundamental structural changes to elevate care work, ensure meaningful choice to care, and reduce systemic inequities faced by care workers. This framework is informed by feminism, Black feminism, intersectionality, and care theory. By conceptualizing care justice, the author aims to stimulate new discourse and action related to the care of older adults – the most important work in society – and make the seemingly unattainable attainable. This timely book will be salient to anyone committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion and with an interest in policy, gerontology, disability studies, ethnic studies, feminist studies, social justice, social work, and social welfare.