Chamber of Mothers’ Post

No one should have to make the impossible choice between pursuing a career and taking care of loved ones. And yet, up to 100,000 people in this country stay home from work every month because of a lack of access to #childcare that would enable them to ease their caregiving responsibilities. That’s why, at JFF, we are encouraged that more than half of governors said during their State of the State addresses this year that they are committed to increasing access to child care and to making it more affordable. Regardless of political affiliation, governors across the country recognize that access to affordable, high-quality caregiving plays a vital role in fostering economic development and workforce stability. Their actions are an important step toward a future where there are #NoDeadEnds at work, at school, or in life. 💼 Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced in his Jan. 9 #StateoftheState address that Indiana is expanding the child caregiving workforce. 🤝 While advocating for attracting workers to the state in his Jan. 18 #SOTS address, Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen highlighted his work with the legislature to create a micro-center child care network, allowing businesses and communities to meet working families’ needs through existing financial resources and community programs. 🏡 Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers also championed lack of child care accessibility as a statewide workforce issue in his Jan. 23 address. 📉 In her Jan. 10 address, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly shared steps on empowering businesses to provide child care support for their employees. By offering tax credits to make child care more accessible, Governor Kelly is getting working parents and families the support they need while boosting workforce productivity and economic growth. It's a win-win solution that benefits both employers and workers. At JFF, we applaud these bipartisan efforts to make family assistance programs work for all learners and workers—especially for people on the front lines of caregiving. This is a key policy priority for JFF’s No Dead Ends campaign. We invite you to join us in our work to build education and workforce systems that will support all people in their lifelong journeys through learning and work. ➡️ Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecJxA3P8 | https://lnkd.in/eXDF2aZX ➡️ Sign JFF's No Dead Ends pledge: https://lnkd.in/e9AgbpRf ➡️ Learn other ways policymakers and employers can support working parents and strengthen the quality of jobs: https://lnkd.in/eyJRTQ9U | https://lnkd.in/eFmeizBp #statepolicy #caregiver

Meet Makese Taylor, a Detroit-based child care provider, who goes above and beyond for her community. Despite the financial impact, she provides crucial support for free to family and friends. With a strong team behind her, including her twin sister and niece, they ensure children are fed and prepared for school and families feel secure while working. "It's a lot on them, but we keep hope. If we didn't help, they might face homelessness. We don't want that," says Makese, echoing the struggles many face due to the lack of affordable child care. The 2023 Kids Count Data Report sheds light on the critical role of affordable child care. 14% of Michigan children face challenges due to childcare issues. Nationally, 17% of Black children are affected, 16% for Latino children and 10% for white children. Positive trends are seen, but Michigan ranks 32 out of 50 in overall child well-being, emphasizing the need for comprehensive solutions. Education remains a challenge, with only 55% of 3-4 year-olds in school. Read more: https://wkkf.co/espr

On Mothers Day we give thanks to the moms who raised us, giving recognition to their undying devotion and the sacrifices they have made to give us the best life they can, all while juggling their careers. As I reflect on my experiences raising my own daughter and give thanks to the countless mother-figures in my life who helped shape me, I wish everyone a day of celebration, remembering the important role women play in our lives. Navigating the delicate balancing act of motherhood is challenging, but it’s among the most rewarding things you can do in life. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, such as rising costs of child care, more and more mothers are leaving the workforce. Just look at some of the findings from Motherly®’s 2024 State of Motherhood Report: - 66% of moms considered leaving the workforce in 2023 due to the stress and cost of childcare. - 40% of moms who made a job or employment change in the past 12 months did so because of lack of childcare or needing/wanting to stay home with children. - A combined 41% of moms said that they are living paycheck to paycheck or going into debt to raise their families. - 50% of non-working moms point to the need for affordable childcare as the prerequisite for returning to/entering the workforce. I said it last year and I’ll say it again: Organizations should do more to support their working moms. Access to critical resources such as affordable child care and paid child sick days are table stakes to ensuring we retain caregivers. Read more from Motherly’s 2024 State of Motherhood Report here: https://lnkd.in/e2MMkFDh #MothersDay #Caregivers #WorkingMoms #Childcare.

The average cost of keeping 2 kids in child care is now higher than the average cost of rent in all 50 states. And it's not like child care providers are better off. They're also hurting — and many of them are moms themselves, dealing with their own child care challenges. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines “affordable” child care as 7% of a person’s income. Using that criteria, not a single state has “affordable child care.” And because paid parental leave isn't guaranteed, staying home after the baby arrives isn't even an option for too many American families. As with our lack of national paid family leave, the U.S. is an anomaly when it comes to child care. We have the second most expensive child care system in the world (behind only New Zealand) while spending less on our children than almost any other wealthy nation. For all this talk of "pro life" this, "pro family" that, the U.S. is estimated by the OECD to spend just 0.35% of our GDP on early childhood education and child care, compared to the OECD member nation average of 0.7%. The Nordic countries, meanwhile, dedicate nearly 2% of their public spending toward early childhood services! The good news (because, well, we need it!) is that U.S. moms are more organized than ever before. Moms First and our amazing partners in this space are mobilizing parents and people who care about parents and children to fight for the basic policy changes that pretty much every other wealthy country in the world has, like investments in child care and a guarantee of paid family leave. That's where June 27th comes in. That night, CNN is hosting the first presidential debate, and we want to make sure child care is on the agenda. We need the candidates to know that child care is a priority for America's families. And we deserve to know if and how they plan to take on this crisis. Think of the debates as a golden opportunity to push child care front and center this election. And you can help make it happen. Help us reach 10,000 signatures before we deliver our petition to CNN. Add your name here: https://lnkd.in/eH-7X_Jj

This is crucial

Childcare has been in crisis since my kids were born! I remember the cost our two boys just about matched my salary, and it was hard to find. Nothing has changed. As this piece by Jill Miller at bi3 and Shannon Jones at Groundwork Ohio points out, "...child care in Ohio is both unaffordable and insufficient. Child care is often the biggest expense for a family with young children, compared to other household expenses. A family with an infant and a preschooler in center-based care can end up paying more for child care than for housing. The cost of infant care is especially frightening, accounting for nearly 40% of the income of a single-parent family. Furthermore, 30% of Ohioans live in "child care deserts," areas with a severe shortage of licensed child care slots, more than half of which are in rural areas. This scarcity of quality, affordable child care contributes significantly to the workforce shortages Ohio businesses face. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reports almost 60% of parents leave the workforce due to inadequate child care options." Great ideas in this article for how businesses can update their workplace practices to help employees and invest in solutions. https://lnkd.in/gaEiFDhf

Denver moms: I’m so excited to be launching a Denver chapter of the national nonprofit organization Chamber of Mothers, alongside amazing co-facilitators Lynne Petre and Christine Heitz. Chamber of Mothers is a national organization working to unite mothers in advocacy to address three critical issues impacting moms: affordable childcare, maternal health and paid family leave. By the time I became a mom, I had worked in child and family policy for nearly a decade. I could rattle off all the statistics on the cost of child care, the share of moms who went back to work two weeks (!) after having a baby, and the rising maternal mortality rate. But it wasn’t until I had my own kids that I felt the force of all the ways our society is not set up to support mothers. The question I was constantly asking myself while muddling my way through my oldest son’s first year of life was: “*Why* do we live like this?” Why do I have to leave my baby months before I’m ready because we lack meaningful paid leave policies like other countries have? Why do we expect moms to go back to work like nothing happened after giving birth mere weeks earlier and when they probably haven’t slept more than a two hour stretch in months? Why is postpartum care nearly nonexistent or impossible for most people to access? Why do we pay more than our mortgage for child care while our incredible child care teachers earn barely above minimum wage? And why were many elected officials standing in the way of progress on these issues when nearly every mom I knew was asking themselves at least one of these questions? And I was one of the lucky ones who had access to some paid leave and other resources that are out of reach for too many moms. If I was struggling, so were many others. The truth is: we don’t have to live like this. There are 85 million mothers in America. We’re a powerful voting bloc when we make our voices heard – and amplifying the voices of mothers to drive change across the country is exactly what Chamber of Mothers local chapters are intended to do. We’re kicking off our Denver chapter on June 18th at the Carla Madison Rec Center Multipurpose Room at 5:30 p.m. MDT. Whether you’re a mom-to-be or an experienced mom, a seasoned advocate or have never e-mailed your senator, we’d LOVE to have you. Childcare provided. RSVP below. Questions? Reach us at [email protected]. #chamberofmothers #moms #paidleave #childcare #maternalhealth #votelikeamother #vlam #motherhood #themotherswillsaveusall #denvermoms #denverareamoms #coloradomoms #comoms

#DidYouKnow that the average household spends 24% of its income on child care, and in a dozen states, child care costs MORE than monthly rent? Families across America feel the impact of surging childcare costs, making balancing work and family life increasingly challenging. Addressing this issue and supporting families in accessing quality, affordable child care is important. The increasing costs of groceries, daycare, clothing, and other essential expenses significantly impact the average family. It's crucial for companies and the government to support paid family leave to help families access quality and affordable childcare while addressing financial strains. The Family Care Act allows eligible employees to take paid leave to care for a family member in need. Paid leave for these families can help ease the burden of balancing work and caregiving responsibilities, ensuring families can prioritize their loved ones without sacrificing their financial well-being. Leave a comment below on how childcare costs have affected you, and take action today by signing the Family Care Act support letter at familycareact.com! #ChildCareCosts #FamilyEconomy #WGF #FamilyCareAct #futurism #activism #solidarity #pgh #childcare #paidleave #paidsafeleave

Every family deserves access to #childcare that allows both the child and the caregiver to thrive, while also adequately compensating providers. And new federal legislation could help to do both. The 19th reports on a new rule from the Biden administration that will require every state to cap its co-payments so that families that receive subsidies pay no more than 7% of their income towards childcare, while also improving payment to providers. This is a great step toward creating childcare equity for families of all incomes! https://lnkd.in/ebWrjFQK