Ms. Magazine: Parenting as a Public Service

Excerpt: “In truth, it should come as no surprise that parents feel abandoned during the pandemic. We ignore the value of this public service at virtually every turn. Motherhood in particular is treated as a luxury, a club to which those with means are invited and those without are condemned for seeking entry. Instead of supporting mothers in those first weeks and months, we deny them paid family leave, forcing many mothers back to work just days or weeks after giving birth. (One 2015 study reported that nearly one in four employed mothers in its sample went back to work within two weeks.)” Read the full article.