Families are feeling the strain of rising child care costs, unstable work, and the growing gap between wages and the cost of living. While these challenges are often framed as questions of personal responsibility or family choices, this blog shows that women’s economic security has always been shaped by policy decisions. Drawing on history from the fight for credit access and workplace protections to the veto of a national child care system, it connects past decisions to today’s affordability crisis. By grounding current conversations about work, care, and family policy in this context, the piece encourages policymakers to move toward structural solutions that support economic stability.
Archive: Lelaine Bigelow
Expanding Paid Leave Through Federal–State Partnerships
At some point in our lives, nearly all of us will need to take time away from work to address a loved one’s or our own serious illness, or to welcome a new child. Paid leave policies support better health and child development outcomes for workers and children, and ensure the financial stability of workers, their families, and their employers. But too many workers lack access to paid leave. As states step up to fill the gaps, federal policy can help states expand access and strengthen programs. These two fact sheets examine recent federal proposals and show how federal–state partnership approaches would expand access to paid leave.
Federal-State Partnerships to Expand Paid Family and Medical Leave estimates how many workers – including low-paid workers – stand to benefit if paid leave policies such as the More Paid Leave for More Americans Act and the I-PLAN Act of 2025 are passed.
House Bipartisan Working Group on Paid Leave Legislation breaks down how the More Paid Leave for More Americans Act and the I-PLAN Act of 2025 proposals would improve access to paid family leave and harmonize existing state paid family leave programs.
Big, Beautiful Paperwork: Dismantling Programs That Help Women Work
Women are working despite the odds, including unequal pay, unpredictable low-wage jobs, and few or no benefits. The recently passed reconciliation law—dubbed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBA) by its backers—adds harsh new work requirements to SNAP and Medicaid. The result? Millions of working women, mothers, single moms, and grandmothers could lose access to food assistance and health coverage—not because they don’t work hard enough, but because of rigid rules that ignore the realities of women’s lives.
Railroads to Rideshare: AANHPI Labor Invisible No More
This AANHPI Heritage Month, we’re shining a light on the long history of AANHPI labor—often essential, too often invisible. From building railroads in the 1800s to driving rideshares today, AANHPI workers have shaped the nation while facing exploitation and erasure. This timeline connects our past to our present to ensure our labor and stories are seen, valued, and remembered.
Stronger Together: Weaving History, Leadership, and Vision for Change
A year ago, I stepped into my role as Executive Director of the Georgetown Center on Poverty and Inequality. As I reflect on the past year, I find myself returning to the image of braiding sweetgrass—an Indigenous tradition that symbolizes interconnectedness, care, and reciprocity. Braiding requires three strands: the past, the present, and the future. Over the past year in my work at GCPI, we have woven these strands together to strengthen our work, our relationships, and our impact.
The Trump Administration’s Federal Funding Freeze Signals a Broader Attack on Economic Security
In its first week, the Trump administration executed a chaotic and aggressive policy blitz, issuing more than 300 executive actions. These actions signal a stark shift in federal priorities—one that threatens to erode the economic security of millions of Americans. The message is loud and clear: The war against poverty is over, and Americans struggling to get by are on their own.
House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group’s Proposal an Important Step for Advancing Paid Leave
Led by Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Congresswoman Stephanie Bice (R-OK), the House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group’s I-PLAN proposal is a promising step. The proposal recognizes the importance of investing in state paid leave programs. Strengthening these programs is a crucial step toward building systems that provide meaningful support for working people and their families.
Sixty Years Later: Empowering Women to Finish the Fight Against Poverty
Sixty years ago, our nation started something bold, but it remains unfinished. We should recommit to the bold vision of the war on poverty by learning from our successes and mistakes. Women should be the center of a new national poverty agenda. When policies support women, they support everyone, and together, we can build a country where every individual has the freedom to reach their full potential—and flourish.
Supreme Court Decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson Punishes People for Experiencing Poverty
The Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson effectively criminalizes homelessness. This decision is a cruel, counterproductive move that punishes people for experiencing poverty.