Within-family processes among safety nets, maternal parenting stress, and child behavioral problems among low-income families: The importance of race and ethnicity

Research has long emphasized the adverse effects of poverty on children; however, within-family processes of how safety nets offset the effects of poverty differ by race and ethnicity are unclear. Guided by the context-sensitive family stress model, the current study investigated within-family processes among safety nets, maternal parenting stress, and child behavioral problems among low-income families and revealed differences in these processes among Hispanic, Black, and White mothers. Using The Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS), participants included 2251 low-income mothers and their children, repeatedly surveyed when children were 1, 3, 5, and 9 years old. Mothers reported their public and private safety nets, their parenting stress levels, and children's behavioral problems at each time point. Multilevel models revealed within-family mediation pathways from mothers' perceived private safety net supports, maternal parenting stress, and child externalizing and internalizing problems, but only for Black, not for White or Hispanic mothers. Prospective within-family associations were found between receiving a high number of public safety net programs and higher child externalizing problems, as well as between receiving private safety nets and higher maternal parenting stress and higher child behavioral problems. Findings were discussed in light of the context-sensitive family stress model, with implications for theory and intervention practices.