Director: Peter Fraenkel, PhD

One of the most complex struggles for couples and families is the balancing act between time for relationships, for the mundane but essential activities that sustain a family, and for time dedicated to work. For poor families, especially those on public assistance, the challenge is finding work and how to successfully negotiate the often difficult family transition as a parent returns to work—often while locating housing, finishing job training, keeping welfare appointments, attending to serious child health care needs. Clearly the “time crunch” extends across the entire economic spectrum, and work-family conflicts always involve challenges in and maintaining family time.

The Center for Work and Family is dedicated to maximizing family and individual well-being along with satisfaction and productivity in work. Using high quality, research-based programs in the community, and collaborating with those it serves in designing and refining the programs, the Center, under the direction of Peter Fraenkel, PhD, assists families at all socioeconomic levels with the challenges of integrating work and family life.