Natasha Pilkauskas
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About Natasha
Pilkauskas’ research considers how demographic, social safety net, and economic shifts in the U.S. affect low-income families with children. Specifically, Pilkauskas’ work examines children’s shared living arrangements, economic insecurity among vulnerable populations, and the effects of cash transfers, such as tax credits, on low-income families. Much of Pilkauskas’ research focuses on early childhood, a time when poverty and instability are known to have long-lasting detrimental effects on children’s health and development, and when social policies have been shown to have some of the strongest impacts on improving children’s life chances.
Contributions
It is Time to Acknowledge That Many American Children Live in Shared Households
Publications
Investigates whether the stability of maternal employment in early childhood (birth to age 5) is linked with child behavior and cognitive skills at ages 5 and 9. Links employment stability (continuous employment over all 5 years, low levels of job churning, longer job tenure) with less child externalizing behavior.
Examines the association between the Great Recession and real assets among families with young children. Investigates the association between the city unemployment rate and home and car ownership and how the relationship varies by family structure (married, cohabiting, and single parents) and by race/ethnicity (White, Black, and Hispanic mothers). Finds that the recession was associated with lower levels of home ownership for cohabiting families and for Hispanic families, as well as lower car ownership among single mothers and among Black mothers, whereas no change was observed among married families or White households.