Families are our first support system – but they shouldn’t be our last.
Access to affordable healthcare and childcare, stable housing and quality jobs are the building blocks all parents need to increase earning potential and create family stability. These essentials put children on pathways to improved economic outcomes, resulting in more secure families and thriving communities.
Areas of focus include:
Health
Early childhood and adolescence represent the two most critical periods of brain development. RLD supports organizations that promote prenatal care, maternal health services, and infant and early childhood health supports that ensure healthy starts for mothers and children while addressing parental stress that can impact child development.
As children enter adolescence and the second period of rapid brain development, the RLD Foundation supports organizations that advance mental health services addressing the unique challenges young people face while equipping families with the tools they need to thrive together.
Childcare Access
Children thrive when their home lives are stable, their families are nurturing and ensuring their safety, and they are supported by a caring community. The cost of quality childcare is out of reach for low-wage workers without benefits. The lack of available care during non-traditional hours can also create a significant barrier to upward mobility for parents pursuing education or skills training to improve their economic situation. The RLD Foundation supports organizations that increase access to quality childcare support and address the unique care needs of parents enabling stable employment and educational opportunities.
Jobs & Career Pathways
A family-supporting wage is increasingly out of reach for working parents. The U.S. labor market has shifted toward low quality jobs, leaving many workers without stable incomes for viable pathways to upward mobility. Families with low incomes are often excluded from opportunities that allow them to develop wealth and financial security. The RLD Foundation supports organizations and efforts that help parents create pathways to economic mobility, financial independence, and stability.
Housing
Approximately half of renting households are cost burdened, impacting families’ ability to afford basic needs, stifling economic mobility and reinforcing cycles of poverty. As rents rise faster than wages, low-income renters are increasingly pushed into high-poverty neighborhoods. With the absence of diverse affordable housing types, the affordability gap widens for families. The RLD Foundation supports organizations tackling the challenge of increasing housing availability, affordability, and quality for families with low income.
“I wanted to give back what everyone had given me and my family.”
Richard L. Duchossois
