Unemployment and job loss has a direct impact on families. According to a study by the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, it’s not the income loss itself that most negatively impacts a family, it’s the degree that it affects the parents’ marriage and their parenting skills.

For instance, when a parent loses a job or suffers a pay cut, it more than likely creates stress in the family. This economic stress often leads to depression, which then causes arguments in an otherwise happy marriage. Once the marriage or relationship goes downhill, so does the quality of parenting. Children are exposed to excessive stress and their parents’ style of taking care of them may not seem as caring or nurturing. Parents may seem more irritable and easily annoyed because they’re stressed—and they have a right to be worried. The level of unemployment is skyrocketing in the U.S. It's the highest it’s been since the U.S. started keeping records of it in 1967. As a result, divorce may become even more of a reality for families in hard economic times.

Stress becomes intensified when a family is evicted from their home. With the high rate of foreclosures nationwide, many families are faced with becoming potentially homeless. Kids may be uprooted from their schools, leaving them to fall behind in academics. Humane societies are reporting an increase in pet abandonment as families are forced to put their beloved animals out on the street.

An increasing number of families are receiving welfare, such as food stamps, cash assistance, and medical benefits. A family’s over-reliance on food stamps may lead to the purchase of lower quality, less expensive food. This type of food tends to be higher in fat and sugar content and lower in nutrients and may contribute to obesity. Families that are in a real tough spot may be forced to forgo meals to save on food stamps. These families are referred to as 'food insecure.'

Another problem that families face in a recession is the ability to pay for college. Lenders may deny student loans based on the student’s financial insecurity, putting college out of reach for many families. Additionally, lenders are denying loans based on the colleges that students wish to attend because of lack of funding. Many community colleges are being turned down for loans.

Most families now require two incomes to pay the bills, forcing moms who are a few weeks postpartum to jump back into the workforce. This may affect the baby and mom’s bonding experience and disrupt the breastfeeding process. Families then have to rely on government-funded daycare to watch their children.

As times become tough, families can stick together by communicating effectively and reducing their spending. Here are links on the different issues families face in this economic crisis and tips on how to stick together through it:

U.S. Dept of Labor: Economy at a Glance

Council on Contemporary Families

Health Coverage in an Economic Downturn: Impact of Tight Budgets on Families and States

Preparing for Baby When Money is Tight

Shielding Low-Income Households from the Economic Costs of Climate Change

Economic Woes=Family Stress

The Current Economy's Impact on Child Care

U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services: Administration for Children & Families

National Center for Children in Poverty

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