National Research Center
for Women & Families

Millions of American women are trying to balance, or at least juggle, work and family responsibilities, but new developments seem to be making that juggling act more difficult than ever. In recent years, working mothers have been told that they should breast feed their babies for "at least a year" and that stimulating their children during the first three years of life will influence their children's abilities for the rest of their lives. Since most women return to work by the time their children are six months old, will this information be helpful or just add to the guilt? And as more and more workers find themselves sandwiched between children who need them and aging parents who need them, how will they cope? And what about the unique needs of military spouses with wives and husbands at war or away from home for months at a time?

Will safety net programs be there when we need them? Are people with disabilities getting the support they need to live independent and satisfying lives?

The National Research Center for Women & Families takes a close look at what the research does and does not show, balancing research information with the realities of people’s lives. Scroll down for information that may make a difference in your life!