Child Care

The number of women in the workforce has finally returned to pre-pandemic levels, which is good for the economy. But after time away from the job market some women are reassessing their priorities.

With a state legislative session looming, the Texas Women’s Foundation has identified nearly two dozen policy changes that can help make the lives of women and girls better.

In Texas, where the hourly minimum wage is $7.25, a student who has children would need to work as much as 64 hours per week to afford college and child care expenses, according to a new report.

As parents scramble to find scarce baby formula and the government races to boost production and imports, some advocates say the U.S. should do more to encourage breastfeeding.

Gender-affirming treatment has been called into question after Texas leadership branded it "child abuse." One Austin family crossed state lines to get their son treated.

"We're sorry to every family we've let down," wrote CEO Robert Ford. The shuttered plant at the heart of the shortage will reopen in June, but it may take months before production is back to normal.

President Biden signed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act of 2021 on Monday, outlawing the manufacture and sale of crib bumpers and certain inclined infant sleepers.

Just a handful of formula makers dominate the industry so a single plant shutdown can lead to empty shelves.

Abbott, one of the largest formula-makers in the U.S., has reached an agreement with the government to bring a closed factory back on line. And the FDA is easing some restrictions on imported formula.

The state’s poorest mothers are paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket when they find baby formula because they say they can’t risk waiting for the exact brand and size container covered by Texas’ Women, Infant and Children program.