Book: Work and Family: Research Informing Policy

Parcel, T. L., & Cornfield, D. B. (2000). Work and family: Research informing policy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Juggling family and work is critically important to contemporary families. This collection of works stems from two major themes. The first is that, to understand the interplay between work and family a realization of the various ways time influences both entities is essential. Time is explored through both a macro historical sense and through the examination of choices involved when balancing work and family. The second theme is social policy and how it affects choices made in that process.

Book: Working with Vulnerable Families

Arney, F., & Scott, D. (Eds.). (2010). Working with vulnerable families: A partnership approach. Melbourne, Australia: Cambridge University Press.

Working With Vulnerable Families brings together theory, practice, and real-world examples to discover what is necessary when working with families facing difficult and complex issues. The chapter authors explore a variety of topics that must be considered, such as organization and community involvement, taking a family strengths perspective, considering resilience, cultural differences, and working with marginalized families. The book brings forward a foundation of values in which to build respect and compassion for families as well as the idea of relationship-based practice. The book was written for students as well as practitioners. Each chapter includes learning goals, activities, and reflective questions.

Textbook: Family Resource Management (2nd ed.)

Moore, T. J., & Asay, S. A. (2013). Family resource management (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Family Resource Management unlocks the complexity of family decision making for students, enabling them to grasp both the concepts and the underlying explanations of family behavior. Authors Tami James Moore and Sylvia M. Asay have provided a strong theoretical base to facilitate both understanding and retention and have organized the text to parallel the decision-making process employed by professionals. As a result, it includes sections on introducing the study of family resource management, identifying family needs, understanding resources available to families in differing socioeconomic circumstances, evaluating alternatives and making choices, and implementing and evaluating decisions.