DUPRI's Lisa Gennetian has published two opinion pieces that explore different aspects of families who struggle with poverty.
In an article published in the Messenger, Gennetian argues that many "Latino children are one of the largest groups of children living in poverty, despite usually living with two parents, at least one of whom works." As a result, "the old ways of looking at child poverty might be outdated." Her article call for policy reforms to address the issue and help pull Latino families out of poverty.
Gennetian, along with Bradley Hardy, Associate Professor of Public Policy at Georgetown University, as has a piece out in Econofact called "The Financial and Psychological Costs of Income Volatility." In it, the authors write that "many families experience chronic, high levels of additional uncertainty in their daily lives due to the variability and unpredictability of the income they depend on. Income volatility can stem from unexpected layoffs, gig jobs with irregular and variable hours, compensation that depends on tipping, as well as uncertainty in the receipt of government assistance and benefits, among other factors. When it is not predictable or voluntary, this instability can impose large costs on workers and families, putting demands on people that can subsequently undermine their economic and general well-being. The instability can impact their mental health and sleep, as well as the cognitive attention they have available to put towards work, self-care, providing care for children, or to positively engage in parenting."