Mothers at Home Matter (formerly known as Full Time Mothers) was launched in 1991 in the face of relentless social and economic pressure on mothers to return to paid work outside the home.

Social patterns have changed, but the needs of children have not. Consistency, attention, time and love are key in a child’s development. In an increasingly material and competitive world, we need to support those women who are courageous enough to buck the trend and to take the financially and socially difficult decision to work in the home in order to provide their children with an emotionally stable foundation. MAHM works to make this choice a more viable one that society will respect once more.

We are ordinary mothers with enquiring minds who are firmly grounded in the 21st century. We do expect to re-join the workforce when this becomes compatible with the needs and the size of our families. But whilst we are needed at home we want the Government to recognise the social and economic value of our work and we would like to be on a fiscal par with double-earner families.

Surveys show consistently that many “working” families share our views but feel that the obstacles are too great.

We are a voluntary organisation and have no political or religious affiliations. Our success depends on the time and effort put in by our members. We have no paid committee members and are financed by subscriptions and voluntary donations. We are a campaigning organisation and therefore have no charitable status.

Membership is open to all those who support our aims. Many members are young mothers who, against all the social and financial odds, are at home with our families because this is where we feel we are needed. Some work from home or have moved on to part-time employment, but continue to support us. Some are in paid work against their wishes. We are also supported by fathers, grandparents, politicians and journalists who are aware of children’s need of a mother at home.

JOIN US

No, we welcome all mums whether they are in paid work or at home full time. Support groups are a place for like-minded mums to get together, who share the values and ethos of MAHM.

SUPPORT GROUPS

No, you can be a member of your local group without being a member of MAHM. Although if you'd like to find out more about MAHM, becoming a member is the best way to stay updated on all news and events.

We ask all group leaders to be members of MAHM so they can stay up to date with our work.

Do you want to help more mums have the choice to stay at home and look after their own children? We need you! Join us as a member today and make a real difference in supporting mums feel valued in their vital role, and help us campaign to give more mums the chance to be at home with their children. 

Thank you to those who are members already, this is what you’re helping us with:

- Promoting a better understanding of children’s developmental need for loving and consistent care. We do this through producing and sending out our bi-annual printed newsletter to members, showcasing research and case studies.

- Enhancing the status and self esteem of mothers at home and representing their voice in policy debates. We do this by attending and running stalls at events such as party conferences, to give mothers at home a voice in political conversations.

- Supporting mothers in their journey as they raise their children and deal with the challenges of being at home. We do this by organising our annual conference to inspire and encourage mums. Your membership helps with the event and marketing costs so we’re able to reach more mums with our important message of support.

Our main campaigning aim is to give families a true choice as to who cares for their children. Successive governments have actively encouraged families through financial incentives to earn two incomes whilst their children are looked after by a third party. The media too have played their part in this process by downgrading the work that goes on in the average home. We believe that these policies cause damage to both children and society.

We fully respect each family’s right to individual choice. But we also believe that any government should support all parents equally, whether they work in paid employment or in the home. This is not currently the case.

Our MAHMifesto sets out the core objectives which guide our policy and campaigns including:

• An economic level playing field for parents who stay at home with the option of a transferable tax allowance.

• Fair taxation for those who stay home to care and those who are in paid employment.

• Childcare subsidies to follow the child, with parents able to choose whether they use it to stay home, or give it to a grandparent, childminder or external setting for care.

• Child benefit to be distributed fairly.

• An end to the negative portrayal of mothers at home. Whilst subsidised day care, breakfast and after-school clubs attract considerable public funds and are presented as the “normal” care of children, the benefits of home-based care and the skills of mothers at home are rarely acknowledged in government literature.

• Political recognition of the contribution that unpaid carers make to the economy.

No! We believe that if feminism is truly about women’s liberation then women should be at liberty to be mothers at home. The notion of choice becomes hollow if it is actively undermined by our taxation and benefit policy, if mothers as carers are side-lined by all political parties and if mothers at home are portrayed as objects of ridicule in the media.

The reality is that many women today are as pressured to return to paid employment as they once were pressured to remain in the home. We believe that feminism is about the rights of women to be self-determining, to choose their own course in life, not about promoting one set of choices over another.

EMPOWERING MOTHERS

No, we continue to be a firmly non-partisan organisation and focus on the relevant issue and arguments (not the people or organisations expressing them).

We give voice to any public person who supports our aims and values, regardless of their political orientation and affiliations.

We believe that parental choice and the well-being of our children should be of central concern to all political parties — not a ‘right’ or ‘left’ wing question.

We continue to reach out to members of all political parties in an effort to gain cross-party support for our proposals.

We are particularly looking for opposition party representatives to raise their voices and represent the majority of mothers who wish for more time to be the main caregiver of their child/ren — please email us if you have links with anyone willing to speak up for these parents.

Yes! We understand that some couples wish or need to reverse their roles and we understand that fathers at home encounter the same discrimination and prejudices as mothers at home. Many of our campaign aims, such as fiscal fairness for single-earner families and the importance of valuing ‘time spent caring’ apply to fathers or other primary carers just as much as mothers.

MAHM was established over 30 years ago in the face of pressure specifically on mothers to return to the workplace before either they or their children were ready. This pressure has only increased. We believe we are the only campaign group focusing on this issue and we feel it is important to create a space and voice uniquely for mothers. We do however work with organisations supporting parents and fathers, see, for instance, the Parent Infant Foundation. Organisations specifically for fathers include: The Fatherhood Institute, Epic Dad and Fathering Together.

No! Personal circumstances dictate the decision to return to paid work and choice should be respected. Children’s needs change as they grow older. We fully understand that many mothers wish to return to a career when the time comes and are happy to see that in many cases they and their employers are able to arrive at solutions that are of mutual benefit.

We campaign to remove the economic and social pressures which force mothers into the workforce before they are ready.

WHAT ABOUT MY CAREER?

We fully acknowledge that families take many forms and that for children the greatest benefit comes from the consistent and long-term presence of a loving parent or care-giver. MAHM champions any individual who carries out this valuable work.

However, we cannot ignore the fact that it is most often mothers who fill this vital role. Moreover, we feel that it is vital to speak up for the word ‘mother’ at a time when it is being widely denigrated and even sometimes deleted from public policy documents.

We believe that as a society we can welcome and respect diversity at the same time as we seek to acknowledge, support and celebrate the unique contribution of mothers.

MAHM is a not for profit organisation run entirely by volunteers. We rely on membership fees and donations to enable us to carry out our vital work. We campaign to give mothers the choice and confidence to care for their children at home. We are also passionate about bringing mums together and encouraging and supporting them. If this is something you believe in too we'd be so grateful for your financial support. You can do this via our website or contacting us directly. Thank you!

Some examples of where your donations would go:

- Helping pay towards our printed resources such as our bi-annual printed newsletter and flyers and posters promoting our local support groups. These are key in supporting mums at home to feel valued and supported.

- Contributing to fees associated with attending and running stalls at events such as party conferences. This all helps to raise awareness of MAHM and give SAHMs a voice in political conversations.

- Marketing costs for our annual conference so we're able to reach more mums with our important message of support.

- Contributes towards paying our Social Media Manager so we're able to increase our influence and reach online on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

- Occasionally we pay someone to help us with video editing to create promotional footage for upcoming events or campaigns.