The Hidden Costs of Raising Healthy Eaters: Lessons from Low-Income Families for Better Nutrition Policy
Low-income parents must balance nutrition and waste when kids refuse food, and public policy should lower the risk of trying healthy foods.
People- & Family-Centered Policy
Men and Caregiving: Opportunities for and Barriers to Meaningful Involvement
Inflexible workplaces, lack of access to paid leave, and financial strain are keeping men from acting on their desire to be caregivers.
The Story behind the Fight for Disability Rights
The new film “Being Heumann” arrives at a critical moment when many hard-won rights of disabled people are threatened.
How Perinatal Cash Transfer Delivery Shapes Impact
A shared framework for measuring and delivering perinatal cash transfers could strengthen the field and deliver for moms and babies.
Americans Love Families. How Can We Make Better Policy For Them?
The Child Care Choice Guarantee is a bold proposal to increase early care options for families, and seasoned early childhood leaders can help shape implementation.
What New York City Parents Told Us About Child Care
Our 2026 survey of NYC parents finds strong demand for more leave and trusted, flexible child care, and preferences that vary widely.
What We Learned About Parental Leave from the 2026 National Parent Survey
With results from two parent surveys, we have a better understanding of what parents want from paid leave programs.
How to Get Universal Child Care: Toolkits for State Policy and Systems Change
Six new toolkits from the Better Life Lab provide advice and resources for child care advocates, policymakers, and funders.
Changing the Narrative on Child Care and Early Education
Through reporting grants, the Better Life Lab supports storytellers to spotlight child care solutions in the national conversation.
Inconceivable: The Impossibility of Family in an Age of Uncertainty
In Inconceivable, Anna Louie Sussman writes about her own quest to become a parent.
Safe People, Safe Places, Safe Services: How Parents of Young Children See Safety
Families define “safety” through more than crime statistics, but unequal resources shape who can act on it.
NYC’s PIT Crew Is Codifying How Government Should Work
New York City’s PIT Crew is an example of bringing people into the loop of tech and governance.
Care Innovation Hub
The Care Innovation Hub is a living collection of the people, programs, and policies redefining what care looks like in America — from child care and paid leave to aging and family caregiving. Explore…
Video Why Marriage Isn’t Dying—It’s Getting Harder to Do Right
Marriage isn't disappearing—it's getting harder. Historian Stephanie Coontz joins New America's Better Life Lab to explore why fairness and gender equality, not just commitment, define the future of m…
Strengthening Connections to Early Intervention Through Policy and Practice
New America hosted a virtual panel of IDEA Part C experts to discuss how to better connect…