The Department of Health and Human Services has released an issue brief entitled, " A Policy to Provide Child Care Access for all Working Families: Effects on Mother's Employment and Caseload ." This brief describes the effects of an alternative policy that would expand child care by providing subsidies for children ages three and younger in working families with incomes at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The alternative policy would also increase the average annual subsidy per child age three or younger from $5,562 (FY2013) to $10,000. The authors assumed a participation rate of 45 percent and used the Transfer Income Model (TRIM) to estimate the impact this policy would have on maternal employment and program caseloads. Results showed an estimated 262,000 to 427,000 additional mothers would be employed and an estimated 2.32 to 2.55 million children would receive subsidies, up from the FY2013 level of 1.44 million children.

A  survey   published by the Pew Research Center shows that more dads are staying at home to help care for their children. Since 1965, fathers have more than doubled their family involvement in childcare as well as household tasks like grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. However, participation does not mean dads feel confident. The  Fatherhood Initiative  reports that 50 percent of fathers don't feel prepared for parenthood. Finding parenting support geared towards dads can be challenging, as most popular parenting books and blogs are targeted at women. A small study  of expectant fathers reveals that dads often rely on their partners for parenting advice, which does not provide an element of community support. Women can access many mom and baby groups, as well as online forums and blogs, but fewer options when it comes to dads. There are some "daddy blogs," but these resources don't always help fathers navigate the day-to-day emotional challenges of new fatherhood.

Obstetricians have routinely cut the umbilical cord of newborns quickly, but that is changing. In January, ACOG joined other groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics , World Health Organization , and American College of Nurse-Midwives  in  recommending that doctors routinely wait   before clamping and cutting the cord. Waiting at least 30 to 60 seconds allows more blood to return to the newborn during the birth process, and delivers extra iron, which is critical for a baby's brain development. Iron deficiency is thought to affect about  8 to 14 percent   of infants and toddlers in the United States, and several studies  indicate delayed cord clamping may  significantly reduce  that number as well as improve other  health outcomes  down the road.

Recently, researchers set out to identify infant and maternal behaviors associated with singing to babies, compared to other common maternal interactions such as reading and playing with toys. High cognitive scores during mom's singing suggested that engagement through song is just as effective as book reading or toy play in maintaining infant attention, and far more effective than listening to recorded music. Mothers' also responded intuitively, when infant engagement declined, the mother adjusted her pitch, tempo or key to stimulate and regulate infant response. For mothers with postpartum depression, singing can be especially helpful - the infants are provided with much-needed sensory stimulation that can focus their attention and modulate their arousal. Simultaneously, mothers experience a much-needed distraction from the negative emotions and thoughts associated with depression, while also feeling empowered as a parent.

The Association of State and Public Health Nutritionists' Obesity Prevention Nutrition Steering Committee has released the Obesity Prevention Matrix . The resource is designed to facilitate the state-level strategic collaboration of federal program activities across funding streams. Nutrition program leaders can use the Matrix to quickly identify programs that share similar goals and activities. Under each of the seven goals of obesity prevention, funding streams are listed along with a description of their objectives and potential activities.

The National Partnership for Women & Families has  updated their charts of municipal paid family leave policies to include all of the policies that have passed through the first half of February 2017. These policies provide paid family leave or paid parental leave to city or county employees.