Moms at Work’s Post

Child care costs in the U.S. have now surpassed those in other developed countries. Action is needed to ease the burden on American families. Learn more in Forbes ➡ https://lnkd.in/g4yF_t44

French lessons for fertility? NZ has a declining birth rate that raises issues for our ability to support a future welfare state. Maybe we need to go French and institute better policies that support the family and fertility. Did you know France is the highest spender on family benefits in the OECD? For example, family tax splitting... Surely now is the time to support families in NZ- if we are going to change our tax structures then let's do so in favour of fertility and family productivity.

Thinking of having children while you’re in Canada? 🤰 Canada recognizes the importance of parental leave for families, and the system offers several benefits to parents of young children, including maternity leave and shared parental leave options. This support is particularly crucial for immigrant families, who represent around one-third of all families with young children in Canada. For a deep dive into maternity and parental leave in Canada, head here 👇 https://lnkd.in/gMVX8kHC #maternityleave #parentalleave #movingtocanada

New Post: Shopping for parental benefits around the world - https://lnkd.in/geZyifQi - It is so expensive to have a kid in the United States. The U.S. is one of just a handful of countries worldwide with no federal paid parental leave; it offers functionally no public childcare (and private childcare is wildly expensive); and women can expect their pay to take a hit after becoming a parent. (Incidentally, men's wages tend to rise after becoming fathers.) But outside the U.S., many countries desperately want kids to be born inside their borders. One reason? Many countries are facing a looming problem in their population demographics: they have a ton of aging workers, fewer working-age people paying taxes, and not enough new babies being born to become future workers and taxpayers. And some countries are throwing money at the problem, offering parents generous benefits, even including straight-up cash for kids. So if the U.S. makes it very hard to have kids, but other countries are willing to pay you for having them....maybe you can see the opportunity here. Very economic, and very pregnant, host Mary Childs did. Which is why she went benefits shopping around the world. Between Sweden, Singapore, South Korea, Estonia, and Canada, who will offer her the best deal for her pregnancy?Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. - #news #business #world -------------------------------------------------- Download: Stupid Simple CMS - https://lnkd.in/g4y9XFgR -------------------------------------------------- or download at SourceForge - https://lnkd.in/gNqB7dnp

What's better than being a dad? How about being a dad in Sweden? 🇸🇪 It's Father's Day this weekend and there's one or two things we can learn from Sweden and how they support new fathers. Not only has it been 50 years since Sweden introduced state-funded parental leave, but there's a social expectation of dads taking leave too. 💡 Fathers in Sweden take the highest proportion of state-subsidised leave in the EU, according to recent OECD data. 💡 Only 18% of fathers who had children born in 2017 hadn't used any of their parental leave allowance https://lnkd.in/enWwNGdx

While migration can unlock economic opportunities, it poses a unique challenge for Nigeria’s aging population. Culturally, caring for elderly parents and relatives at home has been the norm. However, with so many young people ‘japaeing’, the traditional extended family support system is being eroded. #JapaSyndrome #migration #elderlycare #ElderlyWellness #braindrain #familyvalues #SocialWelfare #HealthcareAccess https://lnkd.in/eF_Zncvs

Major parental leave changes coming to South Africa. Currently, we have 4 months for mothers and just 10 days for fathers. Fair? The Constitutional Court will decide. The current system needs an update. Mothers carry the full weight of childcare, while fathers miss crucial bonding time. The Gauteng High Court already called these rules unfair and unconstitutional. The proposed changes would give both parents equal rights to four months of leave. Parents could choose how to split their time, and adoptive and surrogate parents would get the same benefits. For international companies hiring in South Africa, these changes could  matter because: ➔  Equal leave policies attract better talent ➔  Modern benefits show company values ➔  Family-friendly policies reduce turnover ➔  Better work-life balance improves productivity ➔  Gender-equal practices boost morale The Constitutional Court could make this law immediately or give two years for implementation. Either way, change is coming. It will also be interesting to see how these changes are received in the private sector.

Women of color—many of whom are immigrants—make up the vast majority of New York’s human services workforce. They’re the ones caring for our loved ones, supporting children, and providing essential services as home health aides, nursing assistants, and childcare workers. Yet these critical roles are consistently undervalued. Despite their immense contribution, many in this workforce are paid so little that they face higher rates of poverty and are often forced to rely on public benefits to make ends meet. This disparity doesn’t just impact these workers; it affects our communities, families, and the very fabric of our support systems. It’s time to change this narrative. To truly support those who support us, New York must address the wage gap in human services. Let’s recognize the contributions of these women and immigrants by ensuring they earn wages that actually cover the true cost of living and reflect the invaluable work they do. #SupportBUMP #WageEquity #NYNeedsBUMP #HumanServices #FairWages

In a ‘better late than never’ move to avoid the demographic cliff, Beijing issued national-level birth support measures on 28 October. Across the globe, analysts point out that no state has yet turned its demographic woes around; in the PRC concern is rising over how Beijing intends to make this happen. Childbirth now counts as a ‘patriotic imperative’. The October measures will ease birth, childcare, education, housing, and employment—all buoyed up by pro-birth entertainment and propaganda. Sharing childcare duties and hybrid work may help women, but the measures still overly burden them. Supporting parental leave remains mainly in the hands of employers, stymying job opportunities and advancement. Sweetened by subsidies, newly designed ‘mama jobs’ (māmā gǎng 妈妈岗), allow women ‘flexible’ hours. Yet they perpetuate stereotyped gender roles, keeping women in low-paid labour-intensive jobs. For a pro-natal approach to work, local experts urge Beijing to value personal dignity, and give the young chances to live better lives. Meanwhile, turning childbirth into a ‘patriotic imperative’ alienates more than it inspires. #pronatalpolicies #China CHINA POLICY: on the pulse | decoding China's emerging patterns link:https://buff.ly/3OiyCfc