“Working mothers and caregivers had a difficult time during the pandemic, juggling childcare and full-time work,” said Institute for Women’s Policy Research president and CEO Dr. C. Nicole Mason. “This year, breakfast in bed won’t cut it.”
The U.S. birth rate is on the decline and no, it s not just because of the pandemic Elise Solé
Baby fever has cooled off in the U.S., where the birth rate has dropped to its lowest level since 1979, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with experts speculating that the economy, immigration rates and lacking pro-family policies are possible reasons.
Per the report released Wednesday, 3,605,201 babies were born in 2020, a 4 percent decrease from 2019, marking the sixth consecutive year of declining births. The report, based on 99.87 percent of all 2020 birth records, showed a total fertility rate (the average number of children born to a woman during her childbearing years), of 1,637.5 births per 1,000 women last year, down 4 percent from 2019 and another record low for the nation. The report also found that last year, the birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 dropped by 8 percent.
Losing your job is difficult for anyone, but for working-class women without savings it is even harder. Sarah Damaske talked to women in low-wage jobs in Pennsylvania who struggled to afford to feed their families or pay for childcare so they could look for work.
May 3, 2021
President Biden released the provisions of his American Family Plan last week, and just like with his American Jobs Plan, the details are scant and the price tag is high.
Even given the limited details, the plans ought to give everyone pause and by “everyone” I don’t just mean conservatives who oppose massive welfare state expansions, but also those who agree with the objective of an increase in the social insurance system in America. There are some serious flaws worth looking at, even with the few details we have of the plan.
Proposal 1: Free Daycare
Biden splits out his childcare proposals into two pieces, “free preschool” and “affordable childcare.” The proposal claims families will be able to “choose the settings that work best for them,” but the proposal is very specific about what this program will look like, with teachers with “job-embedded coaching, professional development, and wages that reflect the importance of their work.”