Welcome to Research 2 Impact 

In June 2023, we released a report in collaboration with The Century Foundation, which estimated that when American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) stabilization funds expire at the end of September 2023, as many as 70,000 child care centers could close and 3.2 million children and their parents would lose access to their child care spots as a result. The estimates provided in our report were referenced in a question posed by the moderator during the second GOP Primary Debate held on September 27, 2023.

In this report, we explore trends in self-employment among parents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We find that for mothers of young children in particular, self-employment has increased at a notable rate over pre-pandemic levels. As entrepreneurs who are mothers face unique challenges, including intertwined financial considerations, caregiving responsibilities, and time demands, these findings highlight the need for policies, programs and practices aimed at better supporting entrepreneurs who are parenting.

This brief reviews research exploring the links between mental health and entrepreneurship. It begins by discussing the different ways that mental health issues can influence the decision to start a business and, in turn, how entrepreneurship can impact an individual’s mental health. Next it highlights different estimates of the prevalence of mental health disorders among the self-employed. It then provides examples of existing models and programs that have emerged in recent years to support the mental health of entrepreneurs and concludes with a discussion of the implications for policy, programs, and practice.

In this brief, we examine the concept of portable benefits systems and consider the ways these systems can support entrepreneurship. We review the small-scale federal, state, and local portable benefits policies and programs that currently exist, and we discuss research and thinking on these established programs, the possibilities for larger programs in the future, and the changes that will be necessary to support these broader programs.

The Kauffman Foundation continues to recognize, with urgency, the significance of the role new and existing businesses play in local, regional, and the national economy. This report continues our series of sharing the state of capital access for entrepreneurs highlighting the need for innovative products and models to improve capital delivery systems.

Join The Century Foundation on Thursday, June 22, 2023 from 1:30 to 2:30 PM ET, exactly 100 days from when federal funds sunset, to learn about TCF’s groundbreaking new study about the looming child care cliff and what we can do to avoid it.

For two years, the United States has been effectively running an experiment in federally funding child care providers. The $24 billion disbursed in pandemic relief has been the largest investment in child care in U.S. history. Child care providers have used the money to raise teachers’ pay, buy supplies and pay mortgages.

Beginning September 30, 2023, states will face a steep dropoff in federal child care investment. Without Congressional action, this cliff will have dire consequences.

CLASP’s analysis examines access to paid sick leave at the national and state level by income, gender, and hours worked. Our analysis finds that a significant portion of the population still lacks access to paid sick leave, with disparities in access across income and hours worked. Moreover, those disparities are significantly narrower in states and localities with paid sick leave laws.

Between 2014 and 2019, the number of women-owned businesses grew by 21%, far outpacing the rate of growth in the number of businesses overall (just 9%). This impressive growth was even more pronounced among businesses owned by women of color, with the number of women of color owned businesses growing at double the rate (43%), and, specifically, the number of African American/Black women-owned businesses increasing by 50%.