1. + Promising Opportunity: The Work Family Conflict Anna Huck

2. + Definition of the Problem What? Families are unable to escape poverty because of barriers they face in the workplace, particularly the work-family conflict. The work-family conflict occurs when familial obligations force people to choose between caring for their family or keeping their job. Who? Families of low income status, particularly single mothers Where? The problem is localized in the relationship between employees and their employers. Employers of lower income employees are particularly unreceptive to flexibility for families.

3. + Definition of the Problem When? As divorce became more socially acceptable, more mothers chose to be single mothers. In the 1970s, the increase in the divorce rate led to what is modernly referred to as the feminization of poverty. In 1976, over 80% of the 24.3 million poor were mothers and children. Furthermore, as the two-income family became more prevalent, wages decreased. Why? More women are entering the workforce to supplement their husband’s income or be their family’s sole provider. It is not a new problem but a problem that has gotten more recently gained attention. How? Raise minimum wage Provide families with supplemental income through welfare Increase access to affordable child and family care

4. + Problem Statement Families of lower income status have inadequate access to resources that enable them to work in jobs with unstable and nonstandard work hours. Childcare is the most substantial of these resources, and the lack thereof can be to the detrimental to the development and education of children. Furthermore, parents will often choose to quit rather than leave their children uncared for.

5. + Problem Tree High risk of job loss for low income families Poor families lack access to quality, affordable childcare Unstable, nonstandard schedules make finding childcare more difficult Tough employee sanctions for missing work obligations due to familial issues Children suffer developmental issues Little economic mobility for families of low income Increased dependence on governmental assistance

6. + “’She does not hold a high- paying job. She would probably be better off financially if she chose to stay home, watch her kids, and go on the dole. However, instead of becoming a public charge, she has chosen to make a public contribution.’” -William A. Babiskin, Labor Arbitrator (23)

7. + Observations Families living under the official poverty threshold are more than 2X as likely to provide more than 30 hours a week Of of unpaid assistance to parents or parents in law Nearly 1 in 2 Parents of low-income families are sanctioned at work because of family care responsibilities 1/3 Of poor single mothers who pay for childcare spend nearly ½ or more Of their income on childcare 94% Of managers look for employees with maximum availability and 80% Give the most hours to employees with flexible schedules

8. + “I think I’ve compromised my kids, on not a real high level, but more than one time, and taken them to day cares that maybe they shouldn’t have been at…You know, because I had to go to work.” -Anonymous, Interviewed for The Three Faces of Work-Family Conflict

9. + Observations 100% of students at Duke who apply for Financial Aid are offered Work Study Funds 62.5% of students surveyed at Duke have a job on or off campus 48.9% of students surveyed at Duke would be interested in working to provide childcare for local families 78.7% of students surveyed at Duke would be interested in providing tutoring services to local families *Last three statistics are based on responses from 48 surveyed students

10. + “When we want to help the poor, we usually offer them charity. Most often we use charity to avoid recognizing the problem and finding the solution for it... Charity only perpetuates poverty by taking initiative away from the poor.” -Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank

11. + Ideation TROSA-like community that provides families of lower socioeconomic status access to resources such as childcare, family care, continuing education classes, career counseling, housing, etc Partnership between colleges and communities in which college students provide families of lower socioeconomic status with childcare and tutoring services Student-run social enterprises that employ students to provide families of lower socioeconomic status with childcare and family care

12. + The Opportunity: A Community-Campus Partnership Students from Duke with Work Study funding are hired Students in the program are trained, based on the work they want to do (childcare or tutoring) Students are matched with Families based on expertise Tutors are matched with one family for the year, meeting with the student weekly on a regular basis Childcare providers select jobs that work for their schedules, meeting designated hours requirements per week Families of lower income status apply to participate in the partnership Families are screened to ensure safety of home environment Families are matched with Students based on needs Families needing tutors are matched based on availability and subject area Families needing childcare post their needs as soon as they know them; students sign up for slots based on availability

13. + Theory of Change Providing childcare will reduce the impact of the work-family conflict on the lives of families of lower socioeconomic status. Parents will not have to choose between caring for their children and providing for them. Parents will be better equipped to work their current jobs and have better opportunities for economic mobility because they’ll be able to keep their jobs. Children will be placed in higher-quality childcare, and they will have access to educational resources, giving them a better chance to succeed in school.

14. + Short-Term Future Steps Empathize with Stakeholders: Interviews were conducted with students, but observations of the community are statistic-based. Interviews of community stakeholders such as families of lower socioeconomic status should be taken. Additionally, project developers should shadow stakeholders in their daily lives to better understand the challenges they face and gain perspective. Better understanding of the way that their lives function may offer new insights and/or solutions. Network with Experts: Interviews of Social Workers should be conducted to gain their perspective on the welfare system, how it impacts childcare, and how it impacts families.

15. + Long-Term Future Steps Develop transportation model: About 50% of surveyed students would require transportation to an off-campus job. (The other 50% have cars.) Note: Further interviews should be conducted to determine openness to public transportation, walking, biking, etc. Develop pricing structure: Model would significantly subsidize childcare and tutoring services, but for sustainability's sake, it will likely not be free. Develop pricing structure and ensure it doesn’t significantly impede the access of stakeholders to the program. Note: Interviews and observations of the lives of stakeholders will provide insight to this step.

16. + Resources Information about Duke Work Study: https://financialaid.duke.edu/work-study https://financialaid.duke.edu/work-study The Three Faces of Work-Family Conflict (Provides a lot of information on the way Childcare impacts families) : https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp- content/uploads/issues/2010/01/pdf/threefaces.pdf https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp- content/uploads/issues/2010/01/pdf/threefaces.pdf Durham Social Services Information on Childcare: http://dconc.gov/government/departments-f-z/social- services/child-care-services http://dconc.gov/government/departments-f-z/social- services/child-care-services