2018’s Best & Worst States to Raise a Family

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

• What are the supports for families in the neighborhood? What are the policies for maternity/paternity leave? Are there sidewalks? Good public schools? Does the jurisdiction have universal pre-K offered in the public schools? If not, what daycare, nursery schools, alternative schools are available and how expensive are they? Parks? Recreational programming? A library with good children's resources/librarian (my local Takoma Park library has the best children's librarian ever, and she and the library made a huge difference in our family's life when my children were younger).
• What is the demographic makeup of the community? Are there are variety of SES residents living close to each other? Is the community racially/ethnically/religiously diverse? How welcoming is the community to gender/sexual minorities, in particular to same-sex parents?

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

See above answer about universal pre-K, infrastructure such as sidewalks and public transportation, support for teachers, support for parents. Also, health care access is an increasingly dwindling resource. What are the resources, especially for low-income families needing health care?

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

Universal pre-K. High-quality public schools, including choices such as Montessori programs, specialty high school programs (e.g., IB, math/science/stem, communications arts, visual arts). My own children went to a specialty middle school program in our public schools (communication arts) and to specialty programs within our enormous, excellent public high school (two to a communication arts program, one to a math/science/computer science program). In my work with public school Montessori teachers, especially in Washington, DC, we see enormous wait lists for parents who wish to get a spot in a public school with an excellent, alternative methodology/philosophy. Walkability is no good if children and families do not feel safe.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

• Paid leave;
• Health care;
• Excellent public school;
• Universal pre-K.

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

Every family member might have something different in mind -- and adults should discuss what is most important to them explicitly. Some things family members might not consider, that could be added to their list:

• Proximity to external family;
• Family legacy in an area;
• Access to outdoors;
• Presence of free or cheap family entertainment;
• How people who are different are treated and included.

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

I can point to lots of studies about the neighborhoods and larger communities around children and families as affecting quality of life. As far as states, I think the climate and state laws and policies are important, but not as important as the more proximal effects of the community. For example, how states implement federal education laws for children with disabilities is vitally important; and how communities include children with disabilities is also key. We can’t always know ahead of time how certain policies will affect families as we are having children, so it’s important to see how inclusive communities and states are in a variety of ways.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

• Provide diverse economic opportunities;
• Support more than the minimum level of compliance with policies related to vulnerable populations, such as children with disabilities, women in terms of harassment and rape laws;
• Create more open parkland for families to enjoy;
• Foster public engagement in a variety of efforts (such as celebrations, hikes, public services such as libraries, transit).

How might current administration proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

First, it’s important to say that early childhood educators are professionals and should be paid wages that reflect their expertise and the importance of the work they do. Ensuring high-quality early childhood programs is of benefit to families and to the future of our country. Many states have statewide programs to assess and evaluate the quality of a variety of child care settings, and these programs should be encouraged. Paid family leave is a very important component of supporting families -- it exists in every other country with a similar economy size -- and, in my opinion and the opinion of scholars like myself who study work and family life, the current proposal does not go far enough.

It needs to support families who have children by adoption as well as birth, it needs to support new parents of any gender, and it should not be done in such a way that it is only a tax break, since that is of limited use to families who earn less money than other families. If the aim is to provide a benefit to families of financial means, then it may partially achieve that aim. If the aim is to assist working families, it needs to assist more working families than the current plan would do. It also needs to be couples with a way to enhance the quality of the settings children will be in. The period of early childhood is vital for early brain development, and high-quality settings provide rich and varied stimulation to young children, which prepares them for high achievement and stronger social bonds throughout their lives.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

As mentioned in the first question, the indicators necessarily vary according to the priorities of each person. For me, inclusion and access to free and outdoor entertainment are very important -- in part because they stand for a variety of other factors that benefit children and families. I’d round out my list with economic opportunity and opportunities for varied and diverse social engagement.

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

In my work in North Carolina and across the nation, some of the most important things that families say they consider when choosing a place to settle are:

• Good school systems -- families make decisions about which community to live in based on what they learn about the quality and success of local schools.
• Availability and affordability of high-quality child care and early education -- since the early years are critical to a child’s future learning and health, high-quality programs are one of the most important decisions families make, and they must choose programs based on their ability to afford the tuition.
• Availability of services that support their families’ quality of life, such as libraries, parks, playgrounds, walking and biking trails, etc. -- many rural areas in North Carolina are expanding these kinds of opportunities to better attract families to their communities.
• Affordable housing -- this is particularly important for young families, since they typically are at the lower end of their earning potential and good, affordable housing is often their first consideration.

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

State laws, policies and budgets directly affect a family’s quality of life. For example, how a state chooses to invest in programs and services or chooses not to invest, affects a child’s everyday life. Some examples:

• Programs that support children with special needs -- typically, about 12 percent of children in North Carolina have a developmental or learning need when they arrive at school. The earlier these special needs are identified and interventions are underway, the better chance a child has to make maximum progress. So, North Carolina has invested in statewide programs that identify special needs as early as possible.
• Family-friendly policies that consider the unique needs of modern day families -- an example is library hours. A project in Chowan County, North Carolina looked at the things that support families’ participation in opportunities that currently existed for families. The first thing they learned from families was that the traditional library hours didn’t work for working families.
• Investment in educational opportunities such as high-quality child care, schools and universities -- regardless of the ages of their children, many families think current and long-range about educational opportunities available to their families. Investment that is adequate to meet the needs is imperative.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

Please see my answers to the first question. In addition, statewide programs like Smart Start in North Carolina, are attractive to families and businesses. The legislature allocates annual Smart Start funding that supports a statewide infrastructure related to the state’s young children. Local Smart Start boards and offices address the needs of their county’s young children and families, and engage their communities to help meet those needs. A family who moves into any community in North Carolina has a place to go to learn about what is available for their young children, and where their needs can best be met.

How might current administration proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

Federal proposals are inadequate and need to be expanded. They currently offer some assistance with child care, paid family leave and child care tax credits, and will benefit only a small percentage of families. Most federal subsidies serve only the poorest families and have never been adequate for a significant percentage of the families who need them. The challenge is that high-quality child care is expensive and paid family leave, while helpful to some families, does nothing to address the need for quality in all early childhood programs. Funding must be available to improve all settings, especially to educate and pay living wages to early childhood teachers. Working poor- to middle-income families often cannot afford to pay what is needed for their children to be in programs that meet the development and learning needs of their children.

Many states subsidize higher education for all families, but not early childhood education and development programs. Families with young children are less able to pay the cost of quality early childhood programs, and therefore must opt for whatever they can afford. As we’ve learned repeatedly, demand doesn’t drive supply in child care.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

• High-quality child care/education, available to all children.
• Successful schools.
• Investments in statewide infrastructure, such as parks, playgrounds, libraries, etc.
• Funding for state programs that support families with young children (North Carolina’s Smart Start is one, and other states have similar statewide programs).
• Affordable housing for young families.

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

Families know best what their own priorities and values are. There is no perfect place, but if location to certain amenities or programs are necessary, then that may take priority (e.g., a child with a disability that needs special programs). If they value a community feel, then a smaller town may be best for them, or somewhere that is close to family. I think that universally, most parents are going to be concerned about some big categories: schools and child care, home prices/cost of living, jobs/prospects, and safety.

Families with children are going to be concerned with their ability to provide for the family, the safety of where they live, and the quality of the schools and options in the area. Often, families are making this choice when there is a major life change, like a change in jobs or the birth of children. This may be the impetus for a family to move to a new location (e.g., be closer to family). When making a major life decision, it is important for the family to make time to talk about what their values are, so that when they look at the pros and cons of a particular location, they already have decided on their priorities and what areas they are willing to compromise on.

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

There are many factors that go into a child's development or a family's quality of life, so this is hard to answer -- but living conditions, economics, and environment play a huge role. We know there are health disparities due in part to living conditions and access (Is the housing you are living a safe, healthy environment? Do you have access to healthy food, medicine, health care, etc.?). In addition, state laws and programs are going to impact things like health care, economy, and safety, and other childhood programs and schools can impact the child's development. Stress impacts quality of life, so states that do better in these areas will likely have families that are dealing with lower stress and better quality of life.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

I think one of the most important aspects that gets overlooked is just making information easily available, and putting it out there in an accessible way. Often, there are programs, incentives available to families, but they just do not know about these things, especially if they are moving from another state and do not know where to even look or what they might be missing out on. States should highlight and advertise what is available to families, and work to make family-friendly programs easily accessible.

How might current administration proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

It is very hard to know how current proposals will impact long-term wellbeing, but working to create options that benefit both organizations and families based on current research into the best policies is in the best interest of everyone.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

Again, this is really hard to answer, as there are so many factors that impact families -- based on values, families will prioritize different things, but I think most families would highly value safety, economy (jobs), school systems and child care, housing prices/options, and cost of living.

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

Selecting a place to settle down can be stressful and can vary based on individual preferences and circumstances; however, in a larger picture, structural support and local community resources would be two ideal factors that families should consider. Structural support may include the programs and policies from the states and federal government to help promote child and family well-being, both in physical and social resources. Access to early childhood care and education, quality schooling, quality health care, elderly and disability support, and states that provide paid family leave benefits would be some of the examples of structural support.

Local community resources might include places or spaces that allow people the opportunity to connect and network, or community events that allows people from various racial, ethnic, social classes, and religious groups to come together to celebrate cultural diversity and awareness. Sociologically, this would create, in general, social capital -- social resources through social networks and relationships -- that families can capitalize to help facilitate their adjustment to the community, and provide a sense of safety for their children’s schooling and social life. In particular, it helps promote what sociologist Robert Putnam in his book “Bowling Alone” calls as bridging (vs. bonding) social capital -- social resources gained from the interactions and social networking with people from diverse groups.

As we are living in a globalized world, the opportunity for children to interact with their peers from various groups would allow them to gain cultural competence that is necessary for them to participate in the global market. From an agency perspective, however, families should look for a place where they have already had social network and social support system such as their relatives and/or friends, and they should be willing to participate and integrate themselves into the place they are trying to settle down.

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

Context matters. States with sufficient funding for schools would enable children with their cognitive development -- doing well academically. States that are diverse and liberal allow children to develop not only better social and emotional competence, but also cross-cultural skills and sensitivity necessary for them to interact effectively with people from groups that are different from their own. States with access to paid family leave, the availability of early childhood care and education, and quality and equitable health care system, for instance, would allow families the opportunity to work and extra time to extend their social interactions and social networks with people within their community, that will in turn contribute to healthy community with a sense of trust and safety.

A family’s quality of life is not just about physical or material resources, but also the quality of their interactions between the spouses and with people in the community. The study conducted by the Harvard research team that followed their participants for eighty years found that the most important predictors for longer and happier life are embracing the community and good relationships. It is therefore important that states should promote a sense of community, and social networking space that allow for relationship flourishing.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

There are three main factors that I would suggest: access, equity, and participation. For young families, the decision to have a child would be typically the first thing they have in mind as they settle down in a place. What comes next is the availability of structural support, including access to early childhood care and education. Wouldn’t it be nice if the couples can enjoy the six weeks with paid family leave to welcome the (first) child or to adopt a child? Young families in this generation who tend to be liberal may be attracted by the diversity of people, clubs, events, and things to do in towns. States that show high racial, gender, or religious discrimination might be less desirable to not only young families, but the atmosphere in general is uncomfortable for everyone.

States, therefore, should prioritize their efforts on diversity and inclusion as a strategic plan to attract young families. Finally, the agency of the authorities is very important in making all of other efforts a reality and effective by occasionally participating in things to do in town. Wouldn’t it be nice and surprising to run into a governor or a university president eating at a small ethnic restaurant, or at a community event that promotes and celebrates cultural awareness? Their participation will help bridge the authorities and the locals in terms of critical consciousness and support -- not just structural, but personal. It will definitely make the news, and thus enhance the reputation and attraction of the cities or towns. That’s what I call participation.

How might current administration proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

With six weeks of paid family leave for both parents when they have or adopt a child, it will certainly affect child and family well-being. For many young couples, marital strains and hardship can come from being first-time parents, lacking a social network or support system in case of relocation, and being in the early stages of their career which translates to lower incomes. With six weeks of paid leave from work for a spouse, to attend to and provide for maternity care, couples’ relationships would be strengthened and the care for the newborn child is sufficient, as they can relax about financial stress at least.

A study by Tanaka published in The Economic Journal, that examined parental leave policies using data from 18 OECD countries from 1969-2000, showed that job-protected paid family leave significantly reduced infant mortality rates. I would, however, want to see the proposals extend to having four to six more weeks of unpaid (or half paid) leave as an option, if the couple decides that they want to take more time off from work during this transition. New mothers would benefit greatly from taking a longer time to stay home to provide sufficient child care, to recover, and to prevent the adverse health issues. Another study published in The Economic Journal, by Berger and her colleagues, suggested that mothers who returned to work earlier reduced the length of breastfeeding, the child receiving insufficient immunizations, and increasing a child’s externalizing behavior problems at age four.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

• States (and authorities) that embrace and prioritize diversity and inclusion (e.g., acceptance of diversity of race, gender, social class, sexual orientation, religion, low discrimination against diverse groups of people);
• States that are progressive and mindful on the issues of equity and equality (e.g., equality of the distribution of resources to schools in different geographic locations);
• States that provide sufficient access to structural resources (e.g., paid family leave, early childhood care and education, health care, elderly and disability support, public transportation);
• States that promote and provide human services programs;
• States that promote a sense of community and social networking space (e.g., through clubs, cultural events, ethnic restaurants, community events, religious institutions, and partnership between school/university-community).

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

Young children need a close and loving relationship with parents at home, and with caregivers and teachers when parents are at work. As children grow older, they still need those basics, but they also need schools and communities that can support them as they learn and expand their horizons. States can make family life better -- or worse -- by taking steps to ensure quality child care and education and by providing economic programs that support families. Put another way, no family is an island. Families are inevitably affected by the cost of living, by child care and educational quality, and by policies like family leave and mandated sick leave. And facilities like public transportation, public parks, and affordable housing can all improve the quality of family life.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

One great idea is universal pre-K. Public pre-K relieves the financial burden of paying for preschool, and public programs provide an excellent way for parents and children to practice school-readiness skills, like taking the bus to school and spending time away from home and familiar caregivers. The best programs provide an enriched environment with plenty of time for play, as well as academic readiness. Another good idea is school-based after-school care. The school day for elementary school kids is typically just six hours (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. is typical), and that doesn’t map very well onto parents’ work hours. Many -- but not all -- schools have well-run, on-site “before- and after-care” programs that, for an affordable fee, let parents drop off kids early or pick them up late. State funding can make all the difference in offering these programs and providing them at a reasonable cost to parents.

How might current administration proposals related to child care and paid family leave affect child and family well-being?

Paid family leave is critical, because many parents today have no leave rights at all, and others have rights only to unpaid leave, which often isn’t financially feasible. The new tax credit takes a limited but productive step by offering a “carrot” for employers to provide paid leave. The provision isn’t perfect, because it is optional, not mandatory, and excludes some workers. Still, it’s a start. Unfortunately, the provision as enacted is largely window-dressing: it is set to expire after just one year. So, unless Congress extends and expands the tax credit, it’s unlikely to move many employers toward paid family leave, which is an essential component of a national family policy.

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

When choosing a place to set down roots, a great deal depends on the age of the children and where the family is in the lifecycle. For example, there may be different considerations for families with preschool children versus adolescent, or even young adult children. Some of the major considerations that are important for families with school-age children are typically:

• Quality of the school system -- this tends to be among the most important considerations;
• Housing affordability;
• Crime rates;
• Access to good-quality health care -- for example, areas with medical schools and teaching hospitals often have particularly good-quality medical care.

I think there are some other considerations that could also be important to families that may be less often discussed.

• Access to good transportation systems, including public transit -- some families may prefer living in areas that have good highway systems and/or good public transit options. Bicycle-friendly areas, for some people, may also be a consideration.
• “Family-friendly” communities may also be a consideration. By that, I mean some areas tend to have a greater abundance of community engagement and civic associations, child care options, recreational opportunities for families and children, family-oriented community events, etc. Places where there is strong sense of community may sometimes also be attractive to families.
• Proximity to recreational opportunities and cultural assets. Depending on the family, different recreational and cultural assets may hold particular interest for people looking to relocate into a new area. Proximity to beaches or mountain areas may be particularly important to some, whereas others may want to be in areas with noteworthy cultural assets like museums, theater, and historical places. Others may be particularly interested in locating in areas where there are public parks and other outdoor recreational activities.

To what degree is a child’s development and a family’s quality of life influenced by the state they live in? How?

I think a child’s development and the family’s quality of life may sometimes be influenced by the state they live in because of differences in the cultural, educational, and political environment of places. However, I think that differences between states are far less important than environmental differences within states. For example, living in New York City may be very different than living in Syracuse; or living in Philadelphia would be very different from living in a rural area in the middle of Pennsylvania. There are vast differences within states, and therefore, differences between states may be somewhat less useful to look at than the specific areas within each state.

How can authorities make their states more attractive to young families?

Young families have specific needs and priorities when it comes to finding areas attractive. Among the most important needs are education, health care, child care, safety, access to family-friendly employment opportunities, and good transportation systems, particularly public transit. States that invest highly in public education, health care, public transit, as well as such amenities as safe parks and recreational opportunities will be places that young families will find attractive.

In evaluating the best states for families, what are the top five indicators?

It is difficult to evaluate the top five indicators for best states for families, since there is so much local variation within states that get masked at the state level. However, if I had to choose some important state indicators, I would probably focus on these five:

• Quality of public education;
• Quality of health care;
• Public safety;
• Housing affordability;
• State economic growth (a state undergoing economic stagnation may be correlated with a number of other social and economic problems).

What should families consider when choosing a place to set down roots?

We know from research on real estate decision-making that one of the top factors that is considered is the quality of schools. While this may be a strong indicator of the real estate market, it is not so simple and straightforward when considering what is best for the education and development of our children. First, quality school indicators are often based on test scores (e.g., state standardized tests and the SAT), the graduation rate, and the percent who go to college. Some school districts have an "achievement gap" school rating that is also based on the test scores between economically disadvantaged students vs. those students who are not economically disadvantaged. These are important, yes, but narrow, when we consider the learning and developmental well-being of families.

These are also outcome-based measures that can often mask issues of educational inequities. That is to say, these ratings may overlook the extent to which the responsive and sustaining pedagogical resources and processes that form and shape the educative experience are provided. In addition, they say much less about what students are served well by a school, and what students are served less well. What's more, they do not capture what sort of additional important educative resources exist in the community. What I am characterizing here is a measure of educational equity and comprehensive education. That I know of, such measures do not exist. However, I do know of important work that is being done toward this end by Jobs for the Future in collaboration with the Urban Institute.

Because of this very question, its complexities, and limited data on these measures, this is profoundly important work in order to better inform policymakers and families' decisions on what states to live in, and where to live for equitable educational opportunities.