Mom-mentum Advocacy eNews
Tuesday, July 21, 2015



 Greetings!

"What can I do to make things better for mothers?" I answer that question in this edition of the Mom-mentum Advocacy eNews. Moms have more skin in the game, so to speak, than anybody else in society. We make people, raise the next generation, care for other family members, and fuel the economy. Yet we ask very little of our policy makers. Read on for tips on how to change that, and to learn what's been happening at the intersection of motherhood and public policy.
 
Best wishes,
Valerie Young
Your (Wo)man in Washington
Article1
DC DISPATCH - SIGN UP FOR THE ACTION ALERTS

Mothers don't have high priced lobbyists wining and dining politicians. Nor do we have political action committees rolling in dough and writing big checks to candidates. But we do have our status as voters and constituents, and that's the only way we can compete with the big money in Washington and state legislatures around the country.  

 

I will soon be sending targeted Mom-mentum Action Alerts to those who sign up. These alerts will offer timely messages telling you how to get in touch with your elected representatives and let them know what bills you want to see become law. With a quick phone call or email right to their office on the Hill, you can have your say about paid family leave, affordable childcare, keeping pregnant workers on the job, and equal pay. So click through here and sign up and kick your two minute activism into high gear. It's easy, it's fast, and remember, if you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. 

 

Make some noise, speak truth to power, and sign up for the Action Alerts today!

 

   

Article2IF YOU TRY THIS AT HOME....

 

The number of home births is going up, but the outcome can be very different for mothers of different income levels. Higher infant mortality rates are associated with at home births for low income mothers, likely because access to routine medical care before and after the birth wasn't adequate. From The Washington Post, The economics of having your baby at home: "One possible reason is that low-income families have less access to medical care, in general, even in a country with universal health coverage like the Netherlands. They may live farther away from a hospital and lacking transportation or simply time between jobs, skip the routine appointments higher-income couples tend to prioritize."

Article3SO... WHY DON'T WE HAVE PAID LEAVE AGAIN?

You know, I know, the whole world knows ... that the US is the only industrialized, developed, first world country without a nationally guaranteed paid maternity leave program. But why? What is it about us? Our history? Our political philosophy? The money that pervades every single corner of politics? Yes, yes, and yes, according to NPR: "You could write an entire book about the complicated forces at work here, but a mix of a few big factors has helped set this scene: The aftermath of World War II, business lobbying, a diminished American labor movement, and the American love of individualism and bootstrap-pulling all have combined to help keep the U.S. alone in not giving its workers paid leave."  Okay, fine.  But we still have to change that.

 

Women are an important part of today's workforce, and savvy employers are starting to make efforts to keep them on the team. IBM announced that it would allow it's breastfeeding mothers to ship their expressed milk home for free while they were away on business. Like Apple and Facebook's offer to cover the cost of freezing a woman's eggs, a few high-end employers are going beyond paid maternity leave. But are these benefits over the top?  What do they say about our priorities around women, work, and motherhood? And ultimately, will they afford women better choices and happier lives? That's the discussion in IBM breast milk delivery: progress, or forcing working moms to work harder?

  

Yet another report hits my desk about the role of non-cognitive skills in childhood and success as an adult. It's clear now that a more accurate predictor of getting a good education, being self-sufficient, and avoiding homelessness and jail is what you've learned about getting along with others by age 5. The ability to share, relate to others, solve problems with your peers, and cooperate can be measured at age 5 and correlates closely with outcomes for a solid adulthood. So, two take-aways here: First, child care is an investment with long term impact for individual, community and national well-being on every level. Second, caregivers who are teaching these skills earn our support, respect, and consideration -- and that includes mothers in a very big way.

 

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