Raising the Next Generation

Research with Parents and Caregivers

CONDUCTED FOR THE ROBERT WOOD JOHNSON FOUNDATION

PREPARED BY PERRYUNDEM

Purposes

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This research project is about sharing the lived experiences of families and caregivers as they raise children today. The study addresses the barriers parents and caregivers face to moving their families forward, the strengths they draw on to overcome these barriers, and their interactions with systems and structures that can make it difficult for families to access resources and meet their aspirations. 

METHODS

Phase 1: Qualitative Research (2019-2021)

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Study locations

Research methods

Study participants

Topics covered

Parents’ and caregivers’ optimism about their children’s future

Feelings about parenting

Perceptions of inequity in America

Feelings about their neighborhoods / communities

Factors that impact children’s ability to thrive

Challenges their children will likely experience

Positive experiences their children will likely have

Worries about children experiencing discrimination

Parents’ and caregivers’ experiences with discrimination

How discrimination has impacted parents’ and caregivers’ opportunities

Interactions with systems

What enables families to thrive

CURRENT TOPICS: Impacts of the pandemic on raising children and experiences with expanded safety net programs and supports for families due to the public health emergency

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37 interviews with parents and caregivers

30 focus groups with parents and caregivers

5 focus groups with service providers working with families

CURRENTLY IN THE FIELD: Final 10 interviews with parents and caregivers

Most have incomes below 250% FPL (about $54,000 for a family of three):

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Alaska Native parents and caregivers

Arab parents and caregivers

Black parents and caregivers

Chinese parents and caregivers

Indian parents and caregivers

Korean parents and caregivers

Latino parents and caregivers

LGBTQ parents and caregivers

Indigenous parents and caregivers

Native Hawaiian parents and caregivers

Southeast Asian parents and caregivers

Vietnamese parents and caregivers

White parents and caregivers

Languages

Arabic

Cantonese

English

Korean

Mandarin

Spanish

Vietnamese

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In-person interviews and focus groups conducted in:

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Albuquerque, NM

Anchorage, AK

Bismarck, ND

Buffalo, NY

Colorado Springs, CO

Fresno, CA

Honolulu, HI

Houston, TX

Irvine, CA

Newark, NJ

New York, NY

Pearl, MS

San Francisco, CA

Savannah, GA

Seattle, WA

Tulsa, OK�

During the pandemic, interviews are being conducted online via Zoom or by telephone.�

*All participants were compensated for their participation.

METHODS

Phase 2: Survey Research (2020)

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We conducted a survey of 2,023 racially and ethnically diverse parents and caregivers raising children 0-17 years old. The survey was fielded October 7 – December 9, 2020.

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The breakdown of the survey respondents is:�

• 417 Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) parents and caregivers;
• 400 Black parents and caregivers;
• 406 Indigenous parents and caregivers;
• 400 Latino parents and caregivers; and
• 400 white parents and caregivers.

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The Latino survey was administered in English and Spanish. The AAPI survey was offered in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Korean, and Vietnamese.

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LEAD RESEARCHERS:

Adriana Bastillo (Latinx families)

Grace Chiu (AAPI families)

Sean Dryden (White families)

Lesley Kabotie (Indigenous families)

Marisol Lugo Juan (Latinx families)

Naomi Mulligan Kolb (AAPI families)

Olivia Ogwumike (Black families)

Michael Perry (White families)

Scott Simpson (Black families)

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ADDITIONAL MODERATORS:

Gratia Wright  (Black families)

Huafu Jiang (Chinese families)

Julie Tran (Vietnamese families)

Rose Hilario (Filipino families)

Hyon Ro (Korean families)

Collaborative Research Model

SEVEN THEMES.

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“As a parent or guardian of a child, how often do you feel lucky to be a parent?”

�% Frequently

#1. Taking Parenthood Seriously

91% Latino parents and caregivers

89% White parents and caregivers

86% Indigenous parents and caregivers

85% Black parents and caregivers

81% AAPI parents and caregivers

80% Black parents and caregivers

77% White parents and caregivers

72% Latino parents and caregivers

67% AAPI parents and caregivers

64% Indigenous parents and caregivers

• Those in our focus groups embrace parenthood (even though it is hard work) and are putting huge efforts into doing a good job. Failure is not an option.
• Most parents and caregivers use positive feeling words to describe what it is like to be a parent or caregiver. Even through the pandemic they find the silver-lining – more time with their children.
• Most feel a pride in their parenting – they feel they are doing a good job.
• At least two-thirds of parents and caregivers feel they are giving their children what they need to thrive. �

“As a parent or guardian of a child, how often do you feel that you provide your child with everything they need to be successful in life?”

�% Frequently

“There is no failing.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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• Parents and caregivers in this study work hard, are always trying to get ahead, determined to pull their families forward.

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• Most in the survey overwhelmingly say their strong work ethic is important to help their families overcome barriers and get through hard times.�
• The pandemic has required parents and caregivers to hustle even more – some in our interviews are frontline workers and stayed on the job despite the risks, some lost jobs and are now in new jobs (Instacart, food delivery), some are selling personal belongings to pay bills.�
• Hustle also reaches beyond just jobs – many parents and caregivers work hard to create opportunities for their children and families to thrive, seeking out free and low-cost community events and programs, for example.�
• But many parents feel stuck in low wage jobs that don’t offer a pathway forward and see others given more opportunity than they are.��

#2. Hustle/Hard Work

“How important is a strong work ethic in helping your family get through hard times and to succeed?”

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% Important

100% Black parents and caregivers

99% Latino parents and caregivers

99% White parents and caregivers

97% AAPI parents and caregivers

96% Indigenous parents and caregivers

“I don’t have the opportunity to get tired, so it’s like go, go, go, go, go.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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• Racism and discrimination are an everyday experience for most parents and caregivers in the study.�
• Many Black parents and caregivers feel systems, particularly education and criminal justice, work against them and their children. �
• A number of Latino parents and caregivers said they felt vulnerable, unwelcome, on alert. They feel resources are not directed to their communities. �
• Those without immigration status see limited opportunity in the US. Public charge concerns keep many from seeking assistance.�
• Arab, Chinese, Indigenous, Korean, LGBTQ, Pacific Islander, and Vietnamese parents and caregivers told stories of harassment, stereotyping, profiling, aggression, lost opportunity in the workplace, bullying in school for their children, and other negative impacts of racism and discrimination.�
• These systemic barriers do not stop parents from hustling and trying hard but make it so much harder for their families to thrive.���

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#3. Racism/Discrimination

99% Black parents and caregivers

73% AAPI parents and caregivers

73% Latino parents and caregivers

68% Indigenous parents and caregivers

30% White parents and caregivers

“Systemic racism and discrimination can make it harder for someone like me to get a good paying job, live in a safe community, attend quality schools, and get good medical care.”��% Agree

“How concerned are you that racism and discrimination will limit your children’s opportunities to get a quality education, go to college, or get a good job when they are an adult?”��% Concerned

73% Black parents and caregivers

61% AAPI parents and caregivers

57% Indigenous parents and caregivers

49% Latino parents and caregivers

22% White parents and caregivers

“No matter what you say, it all boils down to race at the end of the day.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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• Many parents and caregivers in the focus groups live paycheck to paycheck. Many have debt, regularly fall behind on bills, have low credit scores, and have to borrow money from family and friends. �
• The challenge – many feel they do not have the same opportunities as others to get better paying jobs, obtain benefits that come with jobs, put money aside, get loans, or feel financially secure.�
• The survey shows that many parents and caregivers believe a family’s income can have a major impact on a child’s ability to thrive.

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• Many of the parents and caregivers acknowledged they had no safety net, no ability to save for long-term goals like college or a house, and no ability to cope if something goes wrong. �
• The pandemic has only made things harder for families. Many say their incomes have gone down, there are lost jobs, and many say their debt has increased. Inflation is a big concern right now, particularly rising food and gas prices, which puts even more of a squeeze on their budgets.

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#4. Economic Opportunity

“How much of an impact do you think their family’s income has on a child’s ability to grow up to be an independent, financially stable, healthy adult?��% Major Impact

67% Black parents and caregivers

64% AAPI parents and caregivers

60% Latino parents and caregivers

52% White parents and caregivers

50% Indigenous parents and caregivers

“You have to work double for the same pay.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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• Parents and caregivers have many strengths that help them navigate the challenges they face, and the barriers put in their way.

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• Provided the environment is supportive, most parents and caregivers believe they have the power within themselves to change their family’s trajectory. They just want a fair shot.�
• Most are not waiting for outside help to improve their family’s situation. They are solving their own problems, figuring things out on their own. But they want help.

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• Service providers who work with different kinds of parents and caregivers talked a lot about parents’ and caregivers’ creative problem-solving abilities, resilience, and ability to bend when problems strike.

#5. Parents’ & Caregivers’ Strengths

99% Black parents and caregivers

98% White parents and caregivers

97% Latino parents and caregivers

96% Indigenous parents and caregivers

95% AAPI parents and caregivers

“How important is each in helping your family get through hard times and to succeed?”

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% Important

“Creativity in how you solve problems.”

“Feeling you have the power to change your family’s situation.”

97% AAPI parents and caregivers

96% Black parents and caregivers

96% Latino parents and caregivers

96% Indigenous parents and caregivers

94% White parents and caregivers

“I want to be the change.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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#6. Unequal Opportunity

“Do you feel all children in America have the same opportunity to grow up to be independent, financially stable, healthy adults or do you feel some children face more barriers and have fewer opportunities than others?��% Some children face more barriers

91% Black parents and caregivers

82% White parents and caregivers

75% Indigenous parents and caregivers

72% AAPI parents and caregivers

71% Latino parents and caregivers

“I try to give my children everything for them to succeed, but I worry that America does not offer every child the same opportunities.”��% Agree

94% Black parents and caregivers

83% Indigenous parents and caregivers

79% Latino parents and caregivers

78% AAPI parents and caregivers

68% White parents and caregivers

• Many parents and caregivers in the study worry that no matter how hard they try, their child will not have an equal opportunity to succeed.

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• Most agree there is not equal opportunity in America – and that some children face more barriers.�
• Many parents and caregivers of color in the focus groups feel systems are stacked against them – that getting loans, getting their children into better schools, moving to safer neighborhoods, getting a promotion at work or a better paying job, being treated fairly in the criminal justice system – is harder for them and will likely be harder for their children. �

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“The scale is definitely tipped against us."

FROM THE SURVEY

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• Most parents and caregivers in the survey support a strong safety net and policies like paid leave that help families.�
• Those in the focus groups with firsthand experience with public programs are thankful, feel they make a difference.

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• But there is frustration – most feel the eligibility levels are too low, that parents and caregivers lose the help as soon as they earn a little extra. “I don’t feel like I make that much money, but the government thinks I do.” �
• Programs and services also often split families up – for example, the children may qualify for Medicaid while the parent does not, or in mixed status families, one child may qualify for assistance while a sibling does not.�
• Parents and caregivers feel government assistance has been key during the pandemic – it is helping many families hold on. The stimulus checks, additional unemployment benefits, protections from eviction, expanded SNAP and school meal programs, etc. have helped and prevented the worst from happening.

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#7. A Strong Safety Net

“Government policies – such as paid family leave, health care, housing, and tax credits – play an important role in helping families raise their children.”��% Agree

94% AAPI parents and caregivers

94% Black parents and caregivers

89% Latino parents and caregivers

87% Indigenous parents and caregivers

84% White parents and caregivers

“There should be a strong safety net for families when they fall on hard times and need help.”

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% Agree

97% Black parents and caregivers

96% AAPI parents and caregivers

95% Indigenous parents and caregivers

94% Latino parents and caregivers

93% White parents and caregivers

“I get some [support] from the government because it’s just so hard.”

FROM THE SURVEY

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For more information or further details about this project, visit EveryFamilyForward.org.