Parents need Choice!
Mothers At Home Matter was asked to comment on the proposals put forward by Civitas on reforming childcare. Here is our full response:
Conversations around childcare must positively include and recognise those mothers who choose, or would prefer the choice to, carry out this valuable work themselves.
For ten years the Department for Education has been sitting on evidence that two-thirds of mothers would rather work a lot less and spend more time being a mum, but policy announcements and government cash all go in the opposite direction. We need to listen to mothers. The number of women saying they want to spend more time with their young children and less time at work has actually gone up over the last decade, but this is hidden from public view.
Unfortunately, the desire to be a ‘stay-at-home mother’ is too often underrepresented in such debates, or, worse, misrepresented.
‘Stay-at-home mothers’ are repeatedly painted in a negative (or ‘sepia tinted’) light, described in terms of going back somewhere (‘to the kitchen sink’, ‘to the 1950s’…) or losing something (skills, productivity, identity…).
Economic penalties in the tax system and the loss of child benefit for some families have made this choice of childcare almost impossible; so far from being the case that mothers 'will be forced back home', many mothers will face the reality that two incomes are better than one (even if the gross income of one salary is higher than two). We may finally recognise that mothers are having to work very long hours away from their children for very little recompense.
That mothers’ contributions to the economy are not recognised does not mean the contribution does not exist. That ‘nurturing’ roles are not valued should not be taken as an opportunity to steer mothers who proudly take on this undervalued work towards ‘breadwinning’ roles.
Truly valuing care would be a step forwards for gender equality, not back!
We welcome this report from Civitas as a way of widening the debate on childcare and exploring options. We need to give parents greater choice over childcare. Employers too need to wake up and allow more flexibility around family life.
MAHM would like to see:
An economic level playing field for parents who stay at home with the option of being taxed as a household with a transferable allowance for couples or an additional person’s allowance for single parents
Fair taxation for those who stay home and those who work
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
All mothers to be eligible for their state pension regardless of whether they sign up to the Child Benefit or not
Further action?
Please consider reaching out to your local MP about this issue, or writing your own letter to a newspaper to raise the profile of the need for choice.
Visit our Campaign Resource page for more information.