MOTHERS & MORE APPLAUDS SENATE RESOLUTION TO CREATE NATIONAL WORK AND FAMILY MONTH

September 16, 2003 - Mothers & More, a national non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of mothers, is applauding the passage of Senate Resolution 210 designating October 2003 as "National Work and Family Month," and encouraging President Bush to follow suit.

The resolution states that "It is the sense of the Senate that…reducing the conflict between work and family life should be a national priority…" It points to the advantages of a better balance between work and personal life, both to the health of individuals and their relationships as well as to the health of their productivity on the job.

Mothers & More has furthered similar beliefs as demonstrated by the organization's POWER Plan which details changes it wants to see in public policy, private practice and cultural attitudes and discusses how it will contribute to the effort of securing social and economic equality for mothers. The plan states that, as a nation, the US should "reshape our paid workplaces in ways that acknowledge that mothers, fathers and others who need to care for their families and work for pay are holding down two jobs, both equally important to our economy and our society, and that they need more and better options for combining paid work with caregiving work."

According to Mothers & More, mothers face a wage gap far greater than the wage gap for women without children. They spend an average of 11.5 years out of the workforce caring for others, decimating their retirement savings and increasing their risk of poverty. 69% of mothers work for pay in addition to providing 2/3 of all unpaid family care, effectively working a double-shift.

"Having time to care is as valuable and as necessary to all of us as having time for paid work," says Kristin Maschka, President of Mothers & More. "For the sake of mothers, families and our society, it is critical that we make reducing the conflict between work and family a national priority. The Senate has begun this important process, but stops short by confining National Work and Family Month to 2003. The lack of attention to this issue is only now coming to the public eye. It needs to be fully addressed this year and every year."

For the last 15 years, Mothers & More has addressed mothers' needs as individuals and members of society, and promoted the value of all the work mothers do. With more than 180 chapters and over 7000 members, the organization is currently raising awareness through a national membership campaign; opening their chapters to the public in order to reach out to all mothers. To learn more about Mothers & More, read the full POWER Plan and find out about the issues affecting mothers, log onto the website at www.mothersandmore.org.

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