EUGENE–State officials often base sweeping policy changes, which have profound implications for Oregon families, on beliefs and political philosophies rather than well-researched data, according to a University of Oregon researcher.

A new study on families, researched and written by UO law professor Leslie Harris and published by the UO Center for the Study of Women in Society (CSWS), seeks to fill this gap.

"Valuing Families: The State of Oregon’s Families," provides a snapshot of Oregon families by identifying up-to-date trends and analyses of issues, such as employment, taxes, child and elder care, work policies, and access to health care.

"Officials throughout the state are constantly making decisions they assume will affect families in a positive way," Harris says, "But in order to make wise decisions about how to use resources, you need to know what’s happening right now. Otherwise you can end up with programs or laws that produce results contrary to the desired end."

CSWS Director Sandra Morgen says public policy decisions need to be based on facts.

"A lot of politicians talk about family values. We want to show that public policies that truly value families will address the economic needs of all Oregonians," she says.

Key findings of the study include:

• Low-income families have lost ground. In the mid-1990s, the average income of the richest 20 percent of Oregon families with children was 10 times as large as that of the lowest 20 percent.

• Almost a third of all Oregon households headed by a single woman live below the federal poverty level.

• People of color are more likely to lack health insurance than whites.

• Few services are available for victims of domestic violence who belong to racial and ethnic minority groups and who live in rural areas.

• About 40 percent of all Oregon children were in child care for some part of the time in 1996, according to the most recent available data.

Morgen hopes the study will be useful to policy makers and advocates who want to address the economic needs of Oregon families.

"Valuing Families" is the inaugural publication in the new CSWS series, "Policy Matters." Copies are available for $10. Contact Shirley Marc, (541) 346-5015; e-mail csws@oregon.uoregon.edu.

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