This edition was written by Tara Watson and Emily Snider.
💡 New from us: A direct care worker visa, college free-tuition policies, the DHS public charge rule, and more
Tara Watson recently proposed a temporary direct care worker visa, the H-1D, to address workforce shortages and improve care for older adults. The proposed visa would allow immigrants with at least two years of direct care experience to work temporarily in the U.S. in the direct care field. Watson argues that expanding the workforce beyond domestic workers is necessary to meet growing demand as the population ages and would improve the health and well-being of older adults.
Recent research from Phillip Levine analyzes college free-tuition policies, which guarantee eligible students enough financial aid to cover tuition. Levine suggests that these policies may be less impactful than they appear because many students would have received enough aid to cover tuition under traditional financial aid systems, and tuition is not the only cost of attending college. He argues that the main benefit of these policies may be that they more clearly communicate the financial aid already available to eligible students.
A report by Tara Watson and Sasha Snyder examines how the new DHS public charge rule—which gives immigration officers discretion to consider applicants’ use of public benefits when reviewing green card applications—could affect safety net enrollment. The administration estimates that about 1.3 million people will disenroll from or forgo enrolling in seven major benefit programs. Watson and Snyder suggest that immigrants, including U.S. citizen children, could avoid using benefits to which they are legally entitled out of fear that participation could jeopardize their immigration prospects.
In two recent No More Sidewalks podcast episodes hosted by Abby McCloskey, she discusses changes in public education and how expectations around motherhood and fatherhood have evolved in this generation. The September 17 episode focuses on declining student achievement and growing cynicism about public education. Guest Margaret Spellings discusses the need to return to the basics of reading and math while reforming the standardized testing system. In the October 1 episode, Richard Reeves and Anne-Marie Slaughter discuss the rise of intensive parenting, new parenting ideals shaped by social media, and how to make childrearing more sustainable in America.
📖 What we’re reading
How are children and families affected by the Trump administration's deportations? An Atlantic article by Caitlin Dickerson follows families affected by parental deportation, drawing on a May Brookings report estimating that roughly 205,000 children have been affected, with over 35,000 left without either parent. The article traces some of the problem to a July 2025 DHS policy change requiring officers to reunite children with detained parents or confirm a caregiver only “when operationally feasible.” Families face burnout of temporary caregivers, reliance on foster care or unsafe homes, and months-long reunification processes. Cases span immigration and family law, so families often need two lawyers, but accessing legal help is a challenge.
How did the post-pandemic immigration surge affect labor and housing markets?Jennifer Hunt, Pia Orrenius, and Madeline Zavodny find that the 2021-2024 migration surge boosted employment by about 0.4 jobs per surge migrant and increased average metropolitan GDP by 1.5 percent. They also find that U.S. native wages rose 0.9 percent while employment rates remained unchanged, and rents increased by 1.6 percent.
What role have changes in safety net programs played in changes in U.S. poverty?Robert Greenstein and Danilo Trisi conclude that from 1967-2023, the poverty rate and gap—the difference between a household's actual income and the official poverty line—have declined significantly, while deep poverty and its gap have shown little improvement. These trends primarily reflect the strengthening of the safety net rather than economic growth. Poverty has declined least among adults ages 18–64 who do not live with children and who have little or no earnings, consistent with the weakening of cash assistance programs for many people in deep poverty.
📊 Top chart: 30 ideas for improving student achievement in U.S. schools
This month’s top chart from The New York Times highlights the effectiveness of different strategies for improving student achievement, according to experts. Frequent small-group tutoring during the school day and the science of reading—a systematic, evidence-based approach emphasizing phonics and proven practices—rank among the most effective. School accountability, which rates schools and requires underperforming schools to make changes, is a relatively cost-effective option, while private school vouchers are costly and less effective. The article and chart emphasize that no single strategy is sufficient on its own, and that successful implementation is essential.
➡️ Worth a click
Read this article about how higher education institutions are lending directly to students in response to federal student loan caps.
Check out this report on how eliminating Head Start’s performance standards and financial supports could reduce the quality of services for low-income children.
Bipartisan Policy Center and American Opportunity Project
Tuesday, October 27; 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. EDT
Attend In-Person or Watch Online
About the Center for Economic Security and Opportunity at Brookings
The Center for Economic Security and Opportunity (CESO) produces data-driven, nonpartisan analysis to address the United States’ most challenging social policy questions. In a noisy and polarized world, the Center is a trustworthy source for the information and tools policymakers need to build an economy that works for everyone.
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