Everything Is Broken

"Jennifer Woltil Bouek beautifully weaves multiple forms of data with historical perspective and intersectional analysis to show how the childcare crisis arose and still shapes the lives of contemporary families in profound ways. This book will be a significant contribution to our understanding of parenting, care work, and family inequality."--Jennifer Randles, author of Living Diaper to Diaper: The Hidden Crisis of Poverty and Motherhood

"Everything Is Broken provides a well-researched, sensitive, and revealing analysis of why American childcare cannot be called a system, given its disorder and lack of transparency. Bouek offers an absorbing account of what it means to expect mothers to work--as indeed many want to do--while quality care remains unavailable and unreliable."--Allison Daminger, author of What's on Her Mind: The Mental Workload of Family Life

"Bouek provides one of the first in-depth looks at how contemporary mothers navigate a system known for being flawed and incomplete. Her writing about individual women's stories is incredibly compelling, painting vivid pictures of their trajectories with great sensitivity and empathy."--Julia Wrigley, Professor of Sociology, Graduate Center, CUNY