Mom-mentum Advocacy eNews
Tuesday, February 3, 2015


 Greetings!

It's cold, it's snowy, and it seems like spring will never come.  Is there anything to be happy about?  Why yes, and I am so glad you asked!  Some small steps in the right direction with paid leave, a funny ad, more understanding about the process of childbirth, and a great film project you can bring to the screen.  Stay warm, and read on!
 
Best wishes,
Valerie Young
Your (Wo)man in Washington
Article1
DC DISPATCH
A flurry of activity here after the President's pro-family policy shout out last week:


  

Article2
"MOM IS A DIRTY WORD"
I spoke to Samantha Rife last week, a documentary filmmaker and the motherforce behind this film. She examines the hypocrisy in American culture, "which praises motherhood and family while simultaneously discriminating against mothers and their children, through media and public policy."  Immediately following our convo, I went to her Kickstarter site and made a significant donation.  We need this movie.  It is us and our lives.  Watch the trailer and see what you think.

Article3
THE GREAT STAY AT HOME DEBATE
When the President proposed a $3000 child care tax credit for working parents, families with a stay at home parent got peeved. This BlogHer post got hundreds of comments (including a few from Your (Wo)Man in Washington/!) The discussion was wide-ranging, to put it mildly. Seemingly in response, this showed up in the New York Times: 

"What the critics fail to see is that the playing field wasn't level to begin with. The tax code is already hugely distorted in favor of stay-at-home parenting: Labor outside the home is taxed; household work, such as stay-at-home parenting, is not."  

Bloomberg fired back with an article titled "Obama's War on Homemakers". Then the always-sane Bryce Covert chimed in with "No, Obama Isn't Waging A War On Stay AT Home Mothers". We are the center of attention at the moment -- keep it going with comments, sending letters to the editors with your opinions, or write your members of Congress - all moms needs far more support.
Article4
RIOT IN THE PARK: PARENTS GONE WILD 

This video has gone viral and now I'm seeing it everywhere.  What unites us is bigger and stronger than what divides us, moms and dads. Caring for our children is serious business, in terms of both dollars and sense. The only mystery is why it's taken so long to get parenting and caregiver issues into the public conversation.  They are central to our lives and our livelihoods, and the economy too.  Keep up the buzz. 

Article5

Is the American health care system getting in the way of a mother's optimal birth experience? "The country's maternity care system is missing opportunities to provide better care and use resources more wisely by routinely intervening in labor and delivery in ways that interfere with, instead of promoting, supporting and protecting, innate biological processes that result in healthier outcomes for women and newborns." I'd take that as a yes. Find out more here.



 
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