Smith’s training and specific research interests center around the impact of economic conditions such as poverty, parental job loss, and parental work characteristics on the well-being of children and families. Her current research examines parental perceptions of child care, and how economic factors guide parental choices of child care. Currently, she is exploring these linkages among low-income and ethnically diverse populations, as well as the pathways through which these conditions influence children’s cognitive, behavioral, mental, and physical well-being.