>For many women in the U.S. and around the world, motherhood comes with career costs. > >Raising children tends to lead to lower wages and fewer work hours for mothers – but not fathers – in the United States and around the world. > >As a sociologist, I study how family relationships can shape your economic circumstances. In the past, I’ve studied how motherhood tends to depress women’s wages, something social scientists call the “motherhood penalty.” > >I wondered: Can government programs that provide financial support to parents offset the motherhood penalty in earnings?