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Since 2016, The National Association of Workforce Boards (NAWB) and Innovate+Educate have partnered on the Family Centered Employment (FCE) initiative, recognizing that supporting parents is a powerful lever for community economic growth. This strategic partnership has revealed that when workforce systems identify and address parents’ unique needs—particularly through childcare access and coordinated support services—they have the potential to unlock greater workforce participation and career advancement opportunities that benefit entire families.  

In the fall of 2024, thanks to support from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, NAWB collaborated with Social Policy Research Associates (SPR) to explore how workforce boards collect and use parent data in practice. Our national survey brought to light a critical insight: while many workforce boards recognize the importance of parent-centered approaches, gaps remain between intention and implementation. These findings not only highlight current challenges but also present compelling opportunities to transform how the workforce system serves parents—potentially impacting thousands of families nationwide. 

Key Findings 

• 86% of survey respondents collect data on parental status, mostly for WIOA eligibility, yet 60% don’t clearly define “parent.” 

• Over 70% use parental data to inform or update local WIOA plans. 

• 88% partner with parent-serving organizations, but only 59% formally reflect those partnerships in their plans. 

• Most WDBs want to collect more data, especially around childcare needs and benefit eligibility, to improve services. 

Why It Matters

Knowing that a jobseeker is a parent helps WDBs tailor services—from scheduling to supportive programs. But without consistent definitions, better data systems, and formal sharing agreements, WDBs face barriers to fully leverage this information. 

Looking Ahead 

While the survey provides a foundation for understanding the current parental data collected in the workforce system, it only scratches the surface. Further exploration with a diverse sample of WDB respondents from varying geographic locations, size, and staff roles could inform program design and systemic solutions. Topics may include:  

• How WDBs define “parent” and collect related data 

• Challenges and solutions in data collection 

• Opportunities to streamline efforts through partnerships and shared tools 

• Identifying promising practices to focus on for future data collection 

By improving how parental data is collected and used, WDBs can strengthen pathways to economic mobility—not just for individuals, but for entire families. NAWB will continue to share data and best practices to support family-centered employment strategies as the field evolves.  

Learn more about the survey and read the full report.