Families Valued
Our Focus & Impact
Families Valued conducts research, convenes partners, and educates citizens. The program orients its work around two core principles: that families are the foundation of healthy communities and societies and that all work, including family caregiving, has inherent dignity. Motivated by these principles, CPJ promotes:
- Paid family leave and pregnancy accommodation
- Maternal health access and family-oriented benefits
- A child care ecosystem that serves America’s diverse families well
Spotlight on Maternal Health
An October 2022 webinar, Black Motherhood Matters, examines the systemic factors that lead to higher maternal mortality rates for black mothers and their children. Guests Khadija Garrison Adams, Lauren Reilford, and Cessilye Smith and moderator Kathyrn Freeman discuss what it looks like for Christian communities to support and affirm Black motherhood.
Join CPJ in taking action to improve maternal health care.
Spotlight on Paid Family Leave
The U.S. remains one of the world’s few industrialized nations without guaranteed paid family leave.
CPJ convened a diverse Leadership Council to reflect on a principled, common ground approach to paid family leave. Their report, “Honoring Families, Loving Our Neighbors: A Common Ground Proposal for Paid Family Leave” offers sensible policies that can help secure the best health and future for families, and for our country by creating a universal paid family leave program offering benefits for new parents and end-of-life caregivers. It also urges policymakers to work toward guaranteeing all who work at least two weeks paid time off for routine health and caregiving needs.
Articles
As we move forward from the pandemic, its effects will live with American youth as they grow into adulthood. The lack of resources needs to be addressed as we slowly shift into this epidemic of the mental health crisis. There needs to be an investment in the youth of our tomorrow by taking care of their emotional needs today. We are called to act as servants to our neighbors, representing God’s image by helping those in need.
“Food doesn’t just serve as a basic need — for sure it is that — but it’s also a symbol of community and belonging and neighborliness,” says Cara Cliburn Allen, Ph.D., a researcher who’s dedicated her career to improving outcomes for college students.
CPJ Research Fellow Sofi Timina writes, “Food insecurity is a consequence of inequality in our society, and it further deepens it. For there to be long-lasting impact, there needs to be systemic change.” Read more on our site about the chronic problem of food insecurity for young adults and what it looks like to address the complex causes of this issue.
