Essays on the Social Safety Net, Economic Insecurity, and Inequality during the Transition to Parenthood

While all families face some economic risk when having a new child, the resources available to weather financial hardships vary considerably between groups. Families headed by unpartnered mothers and/or parents of color are still disproportionately likely to fall into poverty and the public safety net for these families has been under attack over the past few decades. Doctoral student in social work Anna Walther will investigate the differences in financial security by race, ethnicity, and partnership status in the year preceding and following childbirth.