Past Projects

• Workforce/Workplace
• Youth
• Early Childhood

Workforce / Workplace

National Study of the Changing Workforce (1989-1993), (1993-1998), (1998-2003)
Every five years, the Families and Work Institute (FWI) conducts its National Study of the Changing Workforce (NSCW), surveying large representative samples of currently employed U.S. workers. The NSCW provides valuable information on many facets of both the work lives and family lives of the US workforce. Because it is the only large study of its kind since the U. S. Department of Labor's 1977 Quality of Employment Survey (QES), the NSCW offers useful information to employers, employees, policy-makers, researchers, and members of the media. The first NSCW survey was conducted in 1992; the second, in 1997; and the third in 2002. The 1997 survey, which includes many questions used in the 1977 QES, provides a unique opportunity to examine workforce issues through the lens of history with 20-year comparisons to the 1977 QES as well as five-year comparisons with the 1992 NSCW. FWI issues general reports after each survey year and releases other findings on important and timely issues during the intervening years.

Funders of the 1993 and 1997 study included: Allstate Insurance Company, American Express Company, AT&T, Boeing Company, Ceridian Inc., Citibank, Commonwealth Fund, DuPont, Fannie Mae, GE Fund, General Mills, IBM Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG Peat Marwick LLP, Levi Strauss & Co., Merck & Co., Inc., Mobil Corporation, Motorola, Inc., NCR Corporation, Rockefeller Foundation, Salt River Project (SRP), WFD, Inc., and Xerox Corporation.

Funders for the 2002 study included: Ceridian, Ford Foundation, IBM Corporation, Johnson & Johnson, KPMG, Motorola, Inc., Salt River Project and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

• The Changing Workforce: Highlights of the National Study (1992 NSCW)
• The 1997 National Study of the Changing Workforce and Executive Summary
• Highlights of the National Study of the Changing Workforce and Executive Summary (2002 NSCW)
• Public-Use Files

FWI staff has published numerous papers based on the data from the National Study of the Changing Workforce. Among them are: "Supporting Families as Primary Caregivers: The Role of the Workplace", a chapter in Infants and Toddlers in Home Care, edited by Deborah Cryer and Thelma Harms (Brookes Publishing, 2000); "Employed Mothers and Fathers in the United States: Understanding How Work and Family Life Fit Together" by Ellen Galinsky and Jennifer E. Swanberg, in Organizational Change and Gender Equity, edited by Linda L. Haas, Philip Hwang and Graeme Russell (Sage Publications, Inc., CA, 2000); "Single Parents in the Wage and Salaried Labor Force" an article in the American Compensation Association Journal (1998) by James T. Bond; "Work and Family: The Experiences of Mothers and Fathers in the U.S. Labor Force" by Ellen Galinsky and James T. Bond, a chapter in The American Woman: 1996-97 Where We Stand, edited by Cynthia Costello and Barbara Kivimae Krimgold (W.W. Norton & Company, 1996); "The Role of Employers in Addressing the Needs of Employed Parents" by Ellen Galinsky, James T. Bond and Dana E. Friedman, in the Journal of Social Issues (Blackwell Publishers, Cambridge, MA, 1996); and "Parents at Work: Work-Family Conflict, Stress, and Coping," a chapter in Children, Families and Stress, edited by J.L. Tanner, in a report of the 25th Ross Roundtable on Critical Approaches to Common Pediatric Problems (Ross Product Division, Abbott Laboratories, Columbus, OH, 1995).

The 1998 Business Work-Life Study: A Sourcebook (1998)
Funded by Allstate Insurance Company, The Chase Manhattan Bank, The Commonwealth Fund, Freddie Mac Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Salomon Smith Barney and Travelers Foundation, this benchmarking survey of a representative sample of over 1,000 companies with 100 or more employees, looks at how they are responding to the work-life needs of the nation's changing workforce. This study is repeated regularly, in tandem with The National Study of the Changing Workforce, providing an ongoing database on employer practice. In 2005, FWI released the 2005 National Study of Employers.

Work-Family Needs of Low-Wage Workers (1999-)
With funding from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, FWI produced three reports that examined the work-life issues facing low-wage, low-income workers in the U.S. and explore ways in which employers might address these issues to their own benefit and to the benefit of employees and their families.

• Promising Practices: How Employers Improve Their Bottom Lines by Addressing the Needs of Lower-Wage Workers
• Information for Employers About Low-Wage Employees from Low-Income Families
• The Impact of Job and Workplace Conditions on Low-Wage and -Income Employees and Their Employers

National Latino Outreach Conference (January 2000)
FWI and the National Latino Children’s Institute co-sponsored “Sparking the Connections: la familia, los niños y la comunidad” (family, children and the community), a conference on outreach to Latino families with young children. The event was held in Los Angeles, California on January 24 and 25, 2000.

Forum on the Future of Family, Work and Community in America (1999)
Funded by The Ford Foundation, we conducted a seminal forum that brought together historians, futurists, and other leading thinkers about our times to help gain a realistic perspective on work, family and community life in America. The forum considered a broad alternative historical conceptual framework for viewing current changes; looked at new paradigms for understanding the future and connections of work, family and community; and began seeking out common ground in the debates surrounding these issues. Entitled, A Time of Transition: Work, Family, and Community After 2001, the Forum was held in February 1999 in Tarrytown, New York. A paper on the thinking of this forum is being written by Arlene Skolnick, a consultant to FWI from the University of California at Berkley.

Regional and Global Forums on Women’s Leadership (1999-2001)
FWI and Boston College are teaming up to explore women’s leadership in the global business community. Top women executives will participate in regional leadership forums, conduct surveys to identify factors critical to their success, and develop recommendations based on these findings. A global women’s leadership summit will present this data worldwide.

Work-Life in a Global Context: New Challenges for Families, Workplaces, Communities and Government (1999)
In conjunction with The Center for Work & Family at Boston College, we convened one of the first events that brought together practitioners, researchers and policy makers from around the world to provide global state-of-the-art information on work-life issues, identify critical questions for future research and practice, and create a global network to continue the conversations and collaborate on international research. T his forum was held at Chateau d'Esclimont, France in April 1999 sponsored by IBM Corporation, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Chase Manhattan Bank, Citigroup, Marriott International, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Public-Private Partnerships in Child Care (1999)
FWI co-hosted a national conference on public-private childcare partnerships in May 1999 for the Child Care Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services with the National Governors’ Association and the Finance Project.

Stimulating Dialogue Among Work-Family and Organizational Change Practitioners (1997)
A roundtable was held to bring together for the first time leading thinkers and practitioners on the subject of work/life and change management/work design to explore the hypothesis that meaningful and lasting change requires a work/life perspective as an integral part of the change process. The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation provided support for this effort.

Network for Small and Mid-Sized Companies (1995–1996)
A grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation supported a feasibility study of developing a "community of interest" among small and mid-sized companies and creating guideposts for ongoing action and research that are most likely to assist these businesses in addressing work-family concerns.

Ahead of the Curve: Why America’s Leading Employers Are Addressing the Needs of New and Expectant Parents (1998)
This study used employer data from The 1998 Business Work-Life Study and employee data from The National Study of the Changing Workforce as well as an analysis and synthesis of other trends to describe employers’ interest in the well-being of young children. In addition, there are more than 30 case studies of exemplary business practice to describe why companies are addressing the needs of employees with young children. Funded by Allstate Insurance Company, The Chase Manhattan Bank, The Commonwealth Fund, Freddie Mac Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Travelers Foundation and Salomon Smith Barney.

Relinking Life and Work: Toward a Better Future (1991–1995)
As part of a Ford Foundation collaboration, the Institute conducted a study at Corning Incorporated looking at how a work-life perspective could be used to address business goals and gender equity. An additional goal was to understand how to pursue work-life solutions in concert with other efforts to achieve quality, diversity and productivity.

College and University Guide to Work-Family Programs (1995–1996)
In association with the College and University Personnel Association Foundation (CUPA Foundation) and funded by a consortium of 16 colleges and universities and one company, we created a survey to describe the evolution of work-family programs at the nation’s campuses. The resulting publication includes highlights from the survey, case studies of model programs, and a “family-friendly index” for colleges and universities.

Women in Science and Engineering (1992–1994)
Funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, this study explored the barriers and opportunities for women pursuing science and engineering in three industries.

Work-Family Managers (1992-1994)
The Institute convened an annual program for managers of work-family programs. These small, hands-on problem-solving seminars focused on a specific issue such as evaluation and measurement.

Wall Street Journal Gender-Work-Family Comparisons (1994)
Our Family Friendly Index was applied to a group of companies identified by the Wall Street Journal as being supportive of women's career development in order to compare whether family-friendliness was predictive of cracks in the glass ceiling.

Examination of the Impact of Family Friendly Policies on the Glass Ceiling (1994)
This research review, funded by the U.S. Department of Labor's Glass Ceiling Commission, assessed the effect of work-family policies upon the career development of women.

Developing a Research Plan for the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) (1994)
The Department of Labor Women's Bureau commissioned FWI to develop a research plan to determine the impact of FMLA on employees and employers.

Options for Expanding Family Leave (1993)
We prepared a background paper for the Carnegie Task Force on Meeting the Needs of Young Children, identifying various options for expanding leave.

The Body Shop (1993)
The Institute was asked to design “the most progressive family leave policy in the country.” Our recommendations were being implemented throughout the company.

Balancing Act for Employees with Elder Care Responsibilities (1990–1993)
A longitudinal study conducted in collaboration with the Older Women's League and funded by The Ford Foundation to assess the work impact of various levels of elder care responsibilities.

Johnson & Johnson Work-Family Evaluation (1990–1993)
This study assessed the effects of a comprehensive set of work-family policies and programs at Johnson & Johnson. Assessments were made before and after the introduction of these programs in order to examine how they influenced employee’s productivity and family and personal life.

Temporary Disability Study (1990)
The Institute was commissioned by New York State to investigate innovative ways to enhance the availability of family leave in the private sector in New York.

Work-Family Clearinghouse (1992–1993)
Under contract to the Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor, the Institute served as a comprehensive source of information about current developments in dependent care issues for the Clearinghouse.

The Family Friendly Employer: Examples from Europe (1992)
Case studies of innovative work-family programs in seven companies in the European Common Market. The book was developed as a joint venture with the Daycare Trust in London and funded by the American Express Foundation.

Goldman Sachs (1992)
We developed a cost/benefit analysis of leave policy options based on projections of anticipated use; designed interview and selection criteria for evaluating vendors, developed a city-by-city assessment of emergency child care availability and prepared a white paper on prevalent and emerging elder care responses.

Parental Leave and Productivity (1988–1992)
With funding from The Ford Foundation and AT&T, national and Institute experts on parental leave contributed chapters on the costs and benefits of company parental leave policies. It contains a study that uses human resource costs accounting methodology to compare the costs of turnover to the costs of offering parental leave.

Corporate Reference Guide to Work-Family Programs (1988–1991)
A state-of -the-art report on work-family initiatives offered by businesses and a ranking of the family-friendliness of the largest companies in the U.S. according to our Family Friendly Index. Partially funded by The Ford Foundation.

Beyond the Parental Leave Debate: The Impact of Laws in Four States (1988–1991)
This project, funded by The Ford Foundation, examined the impact of the newly implemented state parental leave statutes on employers and new parent employees in Oregon, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Rhode Island.

State Reference Guide to Work-Family Programs for State Employees (1988–1991)
An analysis of work-family policies and programs offered by state governments for their own employees. Funded by The Ford Foundation.

Men and the Work-Family Dilemma (1991)
An exploration of ways in which workplace policy and culture enable or constrain the ability of fathers to balance their commitments to job and family, funded by The Ford Foundation.

Worksite Research (1989-1996)
Families and Work Institute had conducted consulting projects for individual corporations that typically involved an assessment of employees' needs and preferences for company support and the development of a set of recommendations for policies, programs and other workplace changes to help people manage their work and family life responsibilities. As of 1996, we are no longer consulting to individual companies. Between 1989 and 1996, our clients included: American Association for Retired Persons, Century Communications, The Chase Manhattan Bank, Ciba-Geigy, Crowe-Chizek, Deloitte & Touche, Department of Transportation (New York City), Illinois Bell, J.P. Morgan (Delaware), Levi Strauss & Co., Lifetime Television, Eli Lilly and Company, The Limited, Milbank Tweed Hadley and McCloy, Nabisco, New York Telephone, Nike, Pfizer United States Pharmaceutical Group, RJR Nabisco, Joseph E. Seagram & Sons, United States Postal Service, and World Bank.

Work-Life Management Training (1991-1996)
As a way to help companies communicate their company mission and specific work-family policies and programs, we designed customized management training programs. This effort was effective in increasing the comfort level of managers who must come to understand and respond to a diverse set of family needs. Prior to 1996, we worked with the following organizations on management training: Ceridian, the Chase Manhattan Bank, Conde Nast, First Tennessee Bank, International Monetary Fund, Johnson & Johnson, and World Bank.

Youth

Salute to Educators (2001-2002)
FWI partnered with The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the MetLife Foundation and Avaya to create Salute to Educators. This project addresses the needs of the men and women who have been one of our children’s primary lines of defense in the wake of September 11th—educators—helping them help children and families cope and contribute in the aftermath of 9/11. The free guide, Coping and Contributing in Times of Crisis, Tragedy and Trauma, has been a valuable resource to thousands of educators nationwide. The guide has been distributed electronically to our educational and corporate networks to assist in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

MetLife Tri-Connecting Initiative (2001-2003)
With support from MetLife Foundation, FWI developed the MetLife Tri-Connecting Initiative. In this project, we honored projects across America that found innovative ways to strengthen connections among students, parents, and schools to improve children’s learning. In 2003, we produced an Action Kit that includes lessons learned and best practices from award-winning projects.

Early Childhood

• a prime time ABC television special broadcasted in the spring of 1997;
• Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and booklets for parents (supported by the AT&T Foundation) and for community leaders (supported by the Freddie Mac Foundation);
• a conference on the brain development of young children and a report entitled Rethinking the Brain, hailed as a definitive summary of research on the brain development of young children, this report became a classic in the field. It summarizes the key findings of recent brain research and the implications of these findings for policy and practice (funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Charles A. Dana Foundation, The Harris Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Tribune Foundation);
• a CEO Summit funded by Kaiser Permanente where Ahead of the Curve was released; a review of videos for parents (supported by The Commonwealth Fund);
• a video for new parents (supported by Johnson & Johnson);
• a CD-ROM (supported by IBM); and outreach to 250 national organizations and more than 100 state and local coalitions (supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Travelers Foundation). This project became Mind in the Making in 2000.

The Fatherhood Project (1989-2002)
The Fatherhood Project of the Families and Work Institute, led by James A. Levine, was ahead of its time in calling attention to the role of men in the Changing Family.

Over the years, the Fatherhood Project produced many seminal materials, including:

• Getting Men Involved: News Strategies for Early Childhood Programs - This is a hands-on guide for people working in early childhood programs who want to involve fathers and other significant males in children's lives.
• New Expectations: Community Strategies for Responsible Fathers - This practical guidebook—one of our bestsellers—goes beyond the current rhetoric about responsible fatherhood to examine promising strategies being used by community-based agencies to engage and re-engage men in the lives of their children.
• Working Fathers: New Strategies for Balancing Work and Family (1997) - A hands-on, practical guide aimed at helping fathers, and mothers, succeed in managing the competing demands of home and work.
• Fatherhood USA - A two-hour, two-part nationally broadcast PBS documentary special that included "Dedicated, Not Deadbeat" and "Juggling Family and Work." Both hours are available on videocassette along with a 30-minute video-training workshop for use by community groups.

Funding for the Fatherhood Project came from A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Connecticut School-Readiness Evaluation Program (1999-2005)
FWI worked with the Connecticut Departments of Education and Social Services to evaluate a state school-readiness program. The findings from the first two years were promising: there was evidence of improvement in quality and staff qualifications, in the quality of care and education received by participating children, and there were preliminary indications of improved child outcomes.

Kansas City Early Learning System Development
FWI assisted a group of corporate and community leaders develop a "world class early learning system." We coached leaders, convened experts and helping assure that this work was research-based. Funding was from the Metropolitan Council on Child Care of the Mid America Regional Council.

Lucent Universal Preschool Initiative
With initial funding from the Lucent Technologies Foundation, FWI and the Child Care Action Campaign (CCAC) managed a grant process for 13 sites around the country that brought together child care, Head Start, and education to move toward universal preschool. In the second year of this initiative, we made grants and provided technical assistance to four states: Alabama, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Oklahoma, for statewide initiative to advance universal preschool and early learning. This project led to the BUILD Initiative.

Paso Del Norte Health Foundation Partnership (1999-2002)
FWI began a five-year partnership with the Paso Del Norte Foundation to advise on creating community supports for families in El Paso, Texas; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico; and Las Cruces, New Mexico. FWI provided consultation, advice and linkages to additional expertise and information to these areas.

Starting Points Learning Network (1999)
FWI was a key member of a national Learning Network created by the Carnegie Corporation of New York to provide technical assistance and expertise to Starting Points projects in states and communities throughout the country. Families and Work Institute provided onsite, telephone and written mentoring, coaching and other technical assistance to assist states and communities to create systems of programs and services that improve early child outcomes.

The Public-Private Partnerships Project (1997–2000)
This collaboration with The Finance Project and the National Governor’s Association was funded by the Child Care Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The three-year initiative involved research on effective public-private partnerships and developed tools and materials to assist national, state and community leaders as they worked to expand public-private efforts to improve early childhood care and education.

The Early Childhood System Financing Project (1996-1998)
FWI worked with The Finance Project, other national organizations and funders to help states and communities design and use new strategies for financing systems of early childhood programs and services through peer-to-peer learning clusters, conferences and consultations. This work was supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and The Danforth Foundation.

Facilitating Change Through Technical Assistance: A National Action Strategy to Support State and Community Initiatives for Young Children and Families (1995–1998)
Working with the National Center for Children in Poverty and in consultation with the National Governor's Association, we provided technical assistance to leaders in numerous states seeking to develop a comprehensive agenda of services and supports for young children and their families. Funded by The Danforth Foundation and the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Florida Child Care Quality Improvement Study (1993–1998)
This study, conducted in association with UCLA, determined how improvements in Florida's child care regulations (lower staff-child ratios, and more highly educated staff) affected the child care marketplace, parents' perceptions of quality and the provision of quality programming. Two reports were released:

• The Florida Child Care Quality Improvement Study: 1996 Report
• The Florida Child Care Quality Improvement Study: Interim Report

Funding came from the Human Resources Administration in Florida, the A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, The Spencer Foundation and The Ford Foundation.

Early Education Quality Improvement Project (EQUIP) (1992–1998)
With funding from the AT&T Foundation, the Institute evaluated systemic efforts to improve the quality of the early childhood delivery system in two states ( West Virginia and Oregon) and two communities ( Kansas City and Boston). A quality audit process to assess community child care systems was created.

The National Practitioners Network (1995–1997)
This project fostered improved communication, collaboration, and cooperation among practitioners in the father involvement and family services field. Funding support provided by The Ford Foundation, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Danforth Foundation and Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Evaluation of the Kansas City Full Start Program (1995–1997)
Funded by the Ewing Marion Kauffmann Foundation, we evaluated an Early Childhood innovation in Kansas City, Missouri. Full Start expanded comprehensive Head Start services to both Head Start eligible and non-eligible children attending child care centers in low- income neighborhoods. We documented this model for potential replication in other communities by assessing the extent to which intended impacts are achieved.

The Corporate Guide to National Dependent Care Resource and Referral Services (1997)
The Corporate Guide to National Dependent Care Resource and Referral Services was aimed at assisting employers in choosing a resource and referral vendor. In addition to exploring some of the general differences in the ways vendors operate, it includes an in-depth look at the services offered by six of the largest nationwide resource and referral organizations, as well as worksheets employers could use in doing further comparisons on their own.

Hawaii Financing Study (1995-1996)
An evaluation of Hawaii’s “Open Doors,” this project studied how financial assistance with child care affected parental work effort and how technical assistance to directors affected children’s development and the quality of childcare.

Community Mobilization: Strategies to Support Young Children and Their Families (1994–1996)
Community Mobilization is a comprehensive guide to community-based action for children and families. It contains detailed descriptions of successful community collaborations around the country as well as tips from service providers, businesses, parents and policymakers. Funded by the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation, the AT&T Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Danforth Foundation, and The Ford Foundation.

Employers, Families and Education: Promoting Family Involvement in Learning(1994, revised 1996)
This report, written for the U.S. Department of Education, helped the private sector understand ways to improve the link between home and school for employed parents and help build community partnerships for learning..

Early Education Leadership Group (EELG) (1992–1995)
We helped to establish and staff the EELG, a group of CEOs of major New York City firms and government officials focused on ways to improve the supply and quality of child care in the city. To brief the Mayor of New York on policy options, we developed projects on professional development and a study of vouchers and contracts as payment mechanisms.

New York City Task Force on Child Care Funding (1994-1995)
We staffed this task force, commissioned by the Mayor and City Council, and developed a set of recommendations to enhance child care program funding and operations.

Parenting Support and Education (1995)
This study, funded by The Commonwealth Fund, investigated the policies and programs offered by businesses to support their employees who are expectant parents or parents of young children. It was prepared to inform their Healthy Steps project that is placing parenting education and support within pediatric settings.

The Family Child Care Training Study (1992–1995)
With collaborators from UCLA, Purdue University and NYU and with funding from The Annenberg Foundation, The Carnegie Corporation of New York, Dayton Hudson Foundation, The A.L. Mailman Family Foundation, Mervyn’s, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, The Spunk Fund, Inc. and Target Stores, The Family Child Care Training Study investigated the impact of training programs on family child care quality.

Johnson & Johnson Center Accreditation (1990–1995)
Based on child and classroom observations, this study evaluated the effects on children and the program before, during and after going through accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This project was funded by Johnson & Johnson.

The Study of Children in Family Child Care and Relative Care (1990–1994)
With collaborators from UCLA, Purdue University and NYU and with funding from eight foundations, this study was the first to systematically examine the quality of care in regulated family child care, nonregulated care, and relative care in the homes of the providers. The impact on children’s development was also investigated. The results were published in a report, The Study of Children in Family Child Care and Relative Care: Highlights of Findings and a book published by Teacher's College, Quality in Family Child Care and Relative Care.

Georgia Child Care Quality Improvement Study (1991–1994)
This study, funded by The Ford Foundation and conducted in association with Georgia State University, assessed how a new Georgia regulation that requires improvements in child-staff ratio and group size affects the supply and cost of child care.

Family-to-Family Evaluation (1989–1994)
This study evaluated the sites involved in Dayton Hudson's community project to improve the supply of family child care by recruiting, training and credentialing providers and to increase the demand for quality by consumer education efforts.

Postal Service Pilot Centers (1992–1994)
Four pilot child care centers at postal facilities around the country were evaluated to determine levels of quality and their ability to increase employee productivity.

Male Involvement in Head Start and Early Childhood Programs Serving Low-Income Families (1991–1993)
Supported by the Smith Richardson and A.L. Mailman Family Foundations, this project examined a variety of programs serving predominantly low-income populations that are finding new ways to increase father involvement in the lives of children.

Levi's Voucher Project (1991–1993)
We worked with a task force and gathered information from 24,000 employees at Levi Strauss & Co., distinguishing among employees in the headquarters office, those in the sales force, and sewing operators in plants throughout the South. One of the task force’s recommendations for a voucher program was implemented as a pilot. We evaluated the pilot after one year, several changes were made, and then evaluated the program again after its second year of operation.

Education Before School: Investing in Quality Child Care (1990–1993)
This report, commissioned by the Committee for Economic Development (CED) and published by Scholastic, was designed to provide background information for CED's Commission on Child Care. It links early care and education to current debates about educational reform, details the demographics and current research on the subject, and proposes solutions.

Options for Financing Child Care in Hawaii (1992)
A review of innovative financing mechanisms from around the country that could be applied to the child care system in Hawaii, funded by the Hawaii Community Foundation.

Department of Labor Productivity Studies (1992)
In collaboration with Mathematica Policy Research, we designed a series of economic studies investigating the impact of child care initiatives on employer productivity.

NYNEX (1991–1992)
The Institute designed NYNEX's Dependent Care Development Fund which distributed $10 million to child care and elder care initiatives that help NYNEX employees. We then conducted an evaluation of the first year of the Fund's operation to learn more about the effectiveness of the Fund's structure, procedures and grantmaking.

Public-Partnerships for Child Care (1990–1991)
Based on an analysis of public-private partnerships around the country, as well as a response to a survey of New York State employers, FWI helped to develop the Early Childhood Investment Fund for New York State. This partnership of many companies provided funds to improve the supply of quality dependent care.

AT&T Family Care Development Fund (1990)
The Institute helped to design a multi-million dollar fund supporting local initiatives to increase the supply of quality child care and elder care serving AT&T employees.

National Latino Outreach Conference (2000)
FWI and the National Latino Children’s Institute co-sponsored “Sparking the Connections: la familia, los niños y la comunidad” (family, children and the community), a conference on outreach to Latino families with young children. The event was held in Los Angeles, California on January 24 and 25, 2000.

National Forum on State and Community Planning in Early Education and Care (1993, 1994)
Co-sponsored with the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, this Forum brought together leaders from throughout the country who were undertaking systemic changes in their early childhood education and care systems.