The Balancing Act Bill

I'm a big fan of the organization, MOTHERS. Their newsletter described some recent activity in Washington related to the issue of mothers and work, and I thought this deserved a little blog buzz.

The Balancing Act Reintroduced to the US House of Representatives

Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey has reintroduced The Balancing Act in the US House of Representatives. In prior sessions, the bill garnered dozens of co-sponsors, but got nowhere in the legislative process.

The bill includes provisions to create paid family leave, increasing investment in childcare with training and benefits for childcare providers, construction and renovation of childcare facilities, establishing voluntary, universal preschool, expanding the School Breakfast Program and adding dinner for children in after school programs whose parents work late.

The bill would also make part-time employees eligible for job benefits such as health insurance and retirement savings plans, and encourage businesses to let more employees telecommute.

While MOTHERS is thrilled to see such a bill introduced, it's clear that our elected officials remain largely ignorant of the support such a bill could generate.

Find out if your representative supports The Balancing Act. Go to
<http://tinyurl.com/yuoav2> and click on "cosponsors."

Then contact your representative and tell them you support The Balancing Act!

MOTHERS Submits Legislative Proposal to Protect the Economic Security of Mothers & Caregivers

At the request of New York Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, MOTHERS and the National Association of Mothers Centers, and Wider Opportunities for Women,
submitted a legislative proposal that highlights three policy areas for reforms protecting the economic security of mothers and caregivers.

Suggestions include:
1) Providing part-time workers with access to employer benefits such as
health insurance, retirement savings plans, and unemployment insurance.

2) Expanding the Family Medical Leave Act to cover more workers, provide paid leave, and apply to school-related activities such as parent-teacher conferences or routine medical visits.

3) Giving Social Security earnings credits to those who spend time out of the paid workforce to care for young children or sick family members as a way of reducing the poverty level of elderly women.

Representative McCarthy has expressed in interest in learning more about the facts surrounding the economic impact of motherhood and other forms of caregiving, and MOTHERS is thrilled to have the opportunity to fill her in.