This paper investigates economic and psychological hardship during the COVID‐19 pandemic among a diverse sample (61% Latinx; 16% White; 9% Black; 14% mixed/other race) of socioeconomically disadvantaged parents (90% mothers; mean age = 35 years) and their elementary school‐aged children (ages 4–11; 49% female) in rural Pennsylvania ( N = 272). Families participating in a local food assistance program reported on food insecurity (FI) and parent and child mood and behavior daily from January to May 2020. Longitudinal models revealed that FI, negative parent and child mood, and child misbehavior significantly increased when schools closed; only FI and parent depression later decreased. FI decreased most among those who received the local food assistance program; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program receipt uniquely predicted decreases in child FI.

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This paper examines changes from 1996–2019 in U.S. parents’ time investment at their children’s schools using data from the National Household Education Survey (N ≈ 116,000). The most common way parents spend time at their child’s school is by attending a general school meeting, which rose from 76% to 85% over this period. The proportion who volunteered at school rose slightly over time (36% to 38%), whereas the frequency of participating in school activities decreased slightly. Little change emerged in the proportion who attend a PTA/PTO meeting (~50%), whereas the proportion who spent time fundraising decreased (60% to 54%). Differences in time investment between high- versus low-income parents either narrowed significantly (attended school meetings, frequency of participation) or remained stable (attended PTO/PTA meeting, volunteered) over time, except for income-based differences in time spent fundraising for their child’s school, which grew significantly. We discuss factors possibly related to these narrowing and persistent gaps.