Pandemic Politics and Caregiving Labor: How Local Contexts Shaped the Experiences of Low-Income Mothers

• In Event: 50261 - Family Section Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 10: Gendered Parenting

Abstract

This paper examines how low-income mothers navigated the challenges of caregiving and work during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the contrasting experiences of mothers in Des Moines, Iowa, and San Francisco, California. Through 120 interviews with mothers of young children (ages 3-12), the study highlights how local policies, including pandemic-related restrictions, shaped mothers' ability to balance caregiving and employment. In Des Moines, fewer restrictions and ongoing daycare and school access provided more stability, while Bay Area mothers faced greater disruptions due to stricter lockdowns and limited childcare options. The paper explores the gendered dimensions of labor, where mothers were disproportionately tasked with caregiving responsibilities, often in the absence of supportive public and private systems. The study also underscores the resilience and agency of these mothers, particularly in how they adapted to economic and caregiving demands. However, the pandemic’s long-term impact varied based on racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic factors, with Black and Latina mothers reporting higher levels of stress and economic instability. The findings call for policy reforms that better support low-income families and address the structural inequalities exacerbated by the pandemic, advocating for a reimagined approach to employment that prioritizes the needs of mothers, particularly in balancing work and caregiving.

Author

• Elizabeth Mary Talbert, Drake University