Economic Inclusion for Families System
We’re working toward an economy that invests in families, values their contributions, and provides meaningful opportunities for them to pursue what is best for their children.
With many allies and partners, we are working toward a new vision that prioritizes and serves families. Economic inclusion means overcoming the legacy that undervalues caregivers. It means embracing new economic alternatives that recognize that people are worth more than what they contribute to the economy.
Voices of Vision
To advance economic inclusion, we must listen to leaders already doing the work. Their insights show us what a more inclusive future could look like—and how to achieve it.
RWJF interviewed three notable experts about creating an economic system in America that prioritizes and serves families.
Reshaping the Tax System
Our tax system controls how public resources flow to families and has an enormous impact on their wellbeing. A more equitable tax system can help to build an inclusive, compassionate society in which every family and child has the opportunity to thrive.
Reshaping the Tax System to Support Family Wellbeing
This new RWJF brief explores how current tax policies deepen inequities and widen income and racial wealth gaps—and how reimagining our tax system can help build a more just, inclusive economy where all families can thrive.
Shifting the Tax Narrative
This conversation examined the ways our current tax structures impact families, particularly those who have been historically excluded, and highlighted promising changes and strategies to advance meaningful reform.
Valuing Caregiving
Caregiving makes everything else in this country possible. To create a future where health is not a privilege but a right, we must value caregiving and the providers who support us all.
Three Ways to Prioritize Families in Improving Caregiving Systems
RWJF's Jennifer Ng’andu shares that valuing and supporting caregiving requires listening to and amplifying the voices of families and integrating caregivers' perspectives into our work.
5-min read
From Stories to Strategies: RWJF's Family Advisory Committee Share Their Efforts Toward Equity
The parent and caregiver advisors on the Family Advisory Committee shared insights into the real barriers families face and the solutions needed, making our strategies, funding, and programs more equitable.
Building Collective Action for Caregiving: Bridging Narrative and Policy
Jennifer Ng’andu led a conversation on reshaping the narrative and policy priorities to create a more equitable support system for families, highlighting caregiving as a collective responsibility that benefits our society.
A Future Where Health Is for Everyone
Reaffirming Our Shared Vision
In his 2025 annual message, RWJF President and CEO Richard Besser reinforces, even in the face of hostility and obstruction, the Foundation's dedication to paving the way to a shared future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right.
What if Our Systems Actually Served ALL of Us
Lauren Smith, RWJF’s vice president of Strategic Portfolios, explains how together we can rebuild systems so they work for us all, leading to a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right.
5-min read
Achieving Health Equity—Faster and Together
We take bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is for everyone.
1-min read
Related Content
Browse content below for more information, commentary, research, and insights on economic inclusion.
Guaranteed Income: An Unconditional Investment in Children and Families
How the Federal Income Tax System Can Worsen Racial Disparities
The federal income tax is a critical tool to reduce racial inequities, but more work is needed to improve its policies and practices. This interactive feature highlights four key issues within the tax code and reforms to support the prosperity of all families.
Guaranteed Income: An Unconditional Investment in Children and Families
1-min read
Squeezed Podcast: Caregiving Over the Course of a Lifetime
Yvette Nicole Brown explores the lives of everyday people, spotlighting the daily dramas, hardships, and joys of caregiving across America.
Families Fueling Equity in Philanthropy
From stories to strategies, parents and caregivers are driving systemic change and transforming RWJF's approach to supporting families.
4-min read
Homeownership Preservation: Advancing Health and Racial Equity
Homeownership is a primary tool for building economic stability and inter-generational wealth, which can influence health and wellbeing.
Fair Wages: Essential for Health, Wellbeing, and an Equitable Society
5-min read
Why Building Black Wealth is Key to Health Equity
6-min read
Caregiving Around the World
Cities and countries globally are designing innovative policies and programs to support caregivers and value their contributions, offering valuable lessons for the U.S. in helping all families thrive. Caregiving is a global practice, and therefore it requires a global solution.