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.

As COVID upended domestic life, women's rate of self-employment rose faster than the share of men in the sector.

This report highlights three key insights that may help inform more equitable design of future relief and recovery policy and programs for small and new businesses, particularly those owned by BIPOC and women entrepreneurs, as well as entrepreneurs in historically under-resourced communities.

At the start of the pandemic, self-employment rose for both women and men, who have a higher overall self-employment rate, according to an analysis of government data by Jessica Milli, an economist in Washington. But for men, self-employment has since returned to pre-pandemic levels, Milli found. Among women, it remained nine percent higher in February 2022 than two years prior.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended life for countless families and brought heightened attention to the plight of working parents. Recent IWPR studies find that during the pandemic, young mothers—especially those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged—experienced a sharp decline in employment and prolonged economic hardship for their families.