Is Maternal Work Behavior Affected by Children's Health and Behavioral Problems?

Rachel Dunifon, Cornell University

In the current policy environment, understanding the factors that may hinder or facilitate the employment of low-income women is important. These factors may include the health and behavioral characteristics of children. Thus, this paper asks: 1) How do the behavioral and health characteristics of children affect maternal employment outcomes? 2) What are the roles of poverty and single parenthood in moderating this relationship? 3) In estimating this relationship, how can we control for the ways in which maternal characteristics affect those of the children? Data from the Child Supplement of the NLSY are used. Initial results suggest that children's health limitations are negatively associated with a woman's employment status. Additionally, this relationship is more pronounced for poor women. Detailing instances in which low-income or single-parent women are hindered from economic self-sufficiency due to concerns within their families will allow policy-makers to better understand and predict families' responses to welfare reform.