FAHN Calls for Inclusive Family Policies

For Immediate Release

Family and Home Network Calls for Inclusive Family Policies

DURHAM, NC—May 29, 2019. Family and Home Network calls for family policies that help all families regardless of how they earn a living or care for their families.

“Our Campaign for Inclusive Family Policies is built on principles of equality and justice,” says Catherine Myers, Executive Director of Family and Home Network. “All family policy making should start with the principles of inclusion. We must stop talking about parents as though they can be divided into two groups: “working” or “at home.” Many parents move in and out of the workforce over time, and they value equality, flexibility and choice. All parents need society’s support as they raise children.”

Statistics on mothers and work are often used to call for family policies that benefit “working families” and yet these statistics are frequently represented in misleading ways. The Department of Labor’s definition of an employed person, for example, includes anyone who did any work for pay in the week prior to the survey (at least one hour a week), as well as those looking for work, and those with home businesses. Parents whose needs are not addressed by most policies designed for “working families” cross the spectrum of economics, class, culture, politics, religions, race and ethnicity. They include:

Families with one full-time wage earner and one at-home parent

Families with two full-time wage earners who work different shifts

Parents working night or weekend shifts

Parents whose relatives do some of the caregiving

Parents who cooperatively trade caregiving with friends

Families in which children are being raised by retired grandparents

According to the Pew Research Center, one in five parents are stay at home parents, and more than half of mothers who are currently employed would prefer to be home caring for their children.

Child allowances and child tax credits are examples of inclusive family policies that help all families. One such bill currently before Congress is The American Family Act of 2019. The Columbia University Center on Poverty and Social Policy found that it would cut child poverty by 38%. Its fully refundable tax credits issued monthly would alleviate economic stress for millions of families with children.

Find out more or support the Campaign for Inclusive Family Policies at Family and Home Network.

Contact: Catherine Myers  -  703-304-3982  -  cmyers@familyandhome.org

Contact: Peggy O’Mara  -  505-983-6771  -  peggyomara@peggyomara.com

Family and Home Network helps families spend generous amounts of time together by offering affirmation, information and advocacy. Founded by three at-home mothers in 1984, the organization fosters a respectful exchange of ideas, parent-to-parent communication, support and understanding.

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