Oklahoma treats pre-K like any other grade in the system, and the state has allowed school districts to partner with federal programs like Head Start and other outside organizations in order to shore up funding. See “Oklahoma,” National Institute for Early Education, 2013, nieer.org/sites/nieer/files/Oklahoma_0.pdf.
Oklahoma even sends social workers to coach stressed-out parents on how to raise their kids. See Nicholas Kristof, “Oklahoma! Where the Kids Learn Early,” New York Times, November 9, 2013, nytimes.com/2013/11/10/opinion/sunday/kristof-oklahoma-where-the-kids-learn-early.html.
The Center for American Progress (CAP) has a plan for getting two years of universal pre-K for all children. Under CAP’s plan, the federal government would match state expenditures up to $10,000 per child annually. Preschool would be free for poor families, and wealthier families would be charged on a sliding scale depending on their financial circumstances. Universal childcare won’t come cheap, but as a society we’ll reap the benefits. See Cynthia G. Brown, Donna Cooper, Juliana Herman, et al., “Investing in Our Children: A Plan to Expand Access to Preschool and Child Care,” Center for American Progress, 2013, americanprogress.org/issues/education/report/2013/02/07/52071/investing-in-our-children.
Georgia also has universal pre-K, and other states like New York and Minnesota are working on it. See Reid Wilson, “New York Will Begin Universal Pre-kindergarten,” Washington Post, March 31, 2014, washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/03/31/new-york-will-begin-universal-pre-kindergarten.
Comprehensive job protection “Supreme Court Backs Pregnant UPS Worker,” Forbes, March 25, 2015, forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2015/03/25/supreme-court-backs-pregnant-ups-worker. Though there are already some federal legal protections for pregnant women—through the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, and the Family and Medical Leave Act—judicial interpretations of these laws still have plenty of loopholes. As a result, pregnant women are often denied leave or accommodations. See “It Shouldn’t Be a Heavy Lift: Fair Treatment for Pregnant Workers,” National Women’s Law Center, June 2013, nwlc.org/sites/default/files/pdfs/pregnant_workers.pdf.
This report describes the ways in which pregnant women have not been accommodated by their employers, despite the existing laws that are meant to protect them. For example, a fast food worker in Washington, D.C., was barred from taking extra bathroom breaks and disciplined for drinking water on the job; a Rent-a-Center employee was forced to go on unpaid leave and ultimately fired; and a UPS employee was not allowed light duty even though nonpregnant injured workers were given light duties when they had similar physical restrictions.
To extend job protections for pregnant workers, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act should be passed. See “S.942: Pregnant Workers Fairness Act,” Congress.gov, 2013, congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/942.
On the state and local levels, twelve states and two cities have passed laws requiring businesses to provide “reasonable accommodations” to pregnant workers, ranging from a transfer to a less strenuous position to additional bathroom and water breaks. See “Reasonable Accommodations for Pregnant Workers: State Laws,” National Partnership for Women & Families, April 2014, nationalpartnership.org/research-library/workplace-fairness/pregnancy-discrimination/reasonable-accommodations-for-pregnant-workers-state-laws.pdf.
In March 2015 the Supreme Court handed down an important decision in Young v. United Parcel Service 135 S. Ct. 1338 (2015), ruling that employers must at least provide pregnant workers with the same kinds of accommodations they provide to other groups of workers who are temporarily prevented from doing their normal jobs. Young v. United Parcel Service 135 S. Ct. 1338 (2015).
Higher wages and training See Caring Across Generations, an organization building a national movement of the “caring majority” by executing on four major program areas: culture change work; local, state and federal policy advocacy; online campaigning; and field activities and civic engagement, caringacross.org/about-us.
According to the second edition of AARP’s State Scorecard, the costs of eldercare are unmanageable for the vast majority of Americans. On average, nursing home costs are 246 percent of the median household income for seniors. Even in the five most affordable states, the cost is 171 percent of median income. Home care is more affordable, but it’s still 84 percent of median income, and as AARP puts it, “The typical older family cannot sustain these costs for long periods.” See Susan C. Reinhard, Enid Kassner, Ari Houser, et al., “Raising Expectations: A State Scorecard on Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults, People with Physical Disabilities, and Family Caregivers,” AARP, 2014, aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/research/public_policy_institute/ltc/2014/raising-expectations-2014-AARP-ppi-ltc.pdf.
Community support structures Atul Gawande provides a frank and in-depth discussion of the issues involved in aging and the end of life, offering options that maximize well-being. See Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End (London: Profile Books, 2014).
Legal protections In the United Kingdom, the Part-Time Workers (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2000 “prohibit an employer treating part-time workers less favourably in their contractual terms and conditions than comparable full-time workers, unless different treatment can be justified on objective grounds.” If a part-time worker believes she has been treated unlawfully, she can file a complaint with an Employment Tribunal. See FindLaw UK, findlaw.co.uk/law/employment/discrimination/500293.html.
In Ireland, the Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act of 2001 ensures that a part-time employee cannot be treated less favorably than a comparable full-time employee regarding conditions of employment. Complaints can be heard by a rights commissioner. See Citizens Information Board, Public Service Information, Ireland, citizensinformation.ie/en/employment/types_of_employment/employment_rights_of_part_time_workers.html.
In the United States, H.R.675—the Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act—was introduced in 2013 by Representative Janice D. Schakowsky. The bill would have corrected an unintended consequence of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that gives employers an incentive to drop healthcare coverage for part-time workers. That bill was not enacted. See congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/675.
However, some states and cities are beginning to take action on their own. California and Connecticut require sick leave for part-time workers. Washington, D.C.; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; New York, New York; and Jersey City, New Jersey, have also passed legislation. See Reid Wilson, “California on Brink of Requiring Paid Sick Days for Part-Time Workers,” Washington Post, September 2, 2014, washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2014/09/02/california-on-brink-of-requiring-paid-sick-days-for-part-time-workers.
Better enforcement The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (Pub. L. 90-202) (ADEA), prohibits employment discrimination against persons forty years of age or older. The law “forbids discrimination when it comes to any aspect of employment, including hiring, firing, pay, job assignments, promotions, layoff, training, fringe benefits, and any other term or condition of employment.” See “Age Discrimination,” U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, eeoc.gov/laws/statutes/adea.cfm.
In addition, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 prohibits discrimination on the basis of age in programs and activities receiving federal financial assistance; and Section 188 of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) prohibits discrimination against applicants, employees, and participants in WIA Title I financially assisted programs and activities on the basis of age. See “Age Discrimination,” U.S. Department of Labor, dol.gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc.htm.
In the area of policy, AARP advocates on behalf of persons over the age of fifty. The organization provides research and information to policy leaders regarding the needs, market condit
ions, and trends that impact this population. See “Age Discrimination Fact Sheet,” AARP, April 2014, aarp.org/work/employee-rights/info-02-2009/age_discrimination_fact_sheet.html.
Reform of elementary and secondary school See Alice Park, “School Should Start Later So Teens Can Sleep, Urge Doctors,” Time, August 14, 2014, time.com/3162265/school-should-start-later-so-teens-can-sleep-urge-doctors; National Association for Year Round Learning, nayre.org; “Learning Time in America: Trends to Reform the American School Calendar: A Snapshot of Federal, State, and Local Action,” Education Commission of the States, 2011, ecs.org/docs/LearningTimeinAmerica.pdf; Charles Ballinger and Carolyn Kneese, School Calendar Reform: Learning in All Seasons (Lanham, MD: R&L Education, 2006).
But for those of you who want For an accessible, powerfully argued overview of all these proposals and more, see Madeleine Kunin, the first woman governor of Vermont, The New Feminist Agenda: Defining the Next Revolution for Women, Work, and Family (White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green Publishing, 2012).
In a live segment on her Fox show KJ Dell’Antonia, “Fox News Anchor Pushes Paid Family Leave,” New York Times, December 12, 2011, parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/fox-news-anchor-pushes-paid-family-leave.
Childcare workers Jonathan Cohn, “The Hell of American Day Care,” New Republic, April 15, 2013, newrepublic.com/article/112892/hell-american-day-care; “Parents and the High Cost of Child Care: 2014 Report,” Child Care Aware of America, 2014.
Republican senators Brigid Schulte, “ ‘Mad Men’ Era of U.S. Family Policy Coming to an End?,” Washington Post, February 12, 2014, washingtonpost.com/blogs/she-the-people/wp/2014/02/12/mad-men-era-of-us-family-policy-coming-to-an-end.
a majority of Republican women “American Women Applauds President Obama’s Action on Paid Family Leave and Paid Sick Days,” American Women, January 15, 2015, americanwomen.org/news/american-women-applauds-president-obamas-action-on-paid-family-leave-and-paid-sick-days.
Republican senator Kelly Ayotte Jamie Bulen, “Family Caregiving Caucus Co-Chaired by U.S. Senator Ayotte,” AARP, March 3, 2015, states.aarp.org/family-caregiving-caucus-co-chaired-by-us-senator-ayotte.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Jana Kasperkevic, “Kay Bailey Hutchison: Not a Feminist, but an Advocate for Women,” Guardian, August 12, 2014, theguardian.com/money/us-money-blog/2014/aug/12/kay-bailey-hutchison-not-feminist-senator-business.
it’s the women in Congress “The Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (The FAMILY Act) Fact Sheet,” National Partnership for Women and Families, 2014, nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-family/paid-leave/family-act-fact-sheet.pdf; “H.R. 3712—Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act of 2013,” congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/3712; “State Paid Family Leave Insurance Laws,” National Partnership for Women & Families, October 2013, nationalpartnership.org/research-library/work-family/paid-leave/state-paid-family-leave-laws.pdf; Betsy Firestein, Ann O’Leary, and Zoe Savitsky, “A Guide to Implementing Paid Family Leave: Lessons from California,” Labor Project for Working Families, 2011, paidfamilyleave.org/pdf/pfl_guide.pdf.
In all thirteen countries John Gerzema and Michael D’Antonio, The Athena Doctrine: How Women (and Men Who Think Like Them) Will Rule the Future (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2013), eBook, loc. 204 of 5309.
two-thirds of respondents Ibid., loc. 181 of 5309.
women in politics Christopher F. Karpowitz and Tali Mendelberg, The Silent Sex: Gender, Deliberation, and Institutions (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2014), p. 19.
“Women’s percentage in deliberating bodies matters little” Ibid., p. 16.
all-women groups Ibid., p. 259.
“groups chose a more generous safety net” Ibid., p. 260.
women speak less Ibid., pp. 137–38.
Most striking, however Ibid., p. 188.
“more than naming a problem” Ibid., p. 198.
“when women have greater standing” Ibid., p. 318.
one in six Americans Ai-jen Poo, The Age of Dignity, pp. 2–4, 24.
one in three Americans Nancy Folbre, ed., For Love and Money: Care Provision in the United States (New York: Russell Sage, 2012), p. 187.
the demand for home careworkers is skyrocketing Ai-jen Poo, Age of Dignity, p. 4.
“care policy and research” Nancy Folbre, Candace Howes, and Carrie Leana, “A Care Policy and Research Agenda,” in Nancy Folbre, ed., For Love and Money: Care Provision in the United States (New York: Russell Sage, 2012), pp. 183–204.
It offsets the cost of high-quality childcare “Military Child Care: DOD Is Taking Actions to Address Awareness and Availability Barriers,” Government Accountability Office, February 2012, gao.gov/assets/590/588188.pdf.
the Pentagon pays teachers Marcy Whitebook, Deborah Phillips, and Carollee Howes, Worthy Work, STILL Unlivable Wages: The Early Childhood Workforce 25 Years after the National Child Care Staffing Study, Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley, 2014, irle.berkeley.edu/cscce/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/ReportFINAL.pdf.
Sheila Lirio Marcelo “Sheila Lirio Marcelo: Founder, Chairwoman & CEO,” Care.com, care.com/sheila-marcelo.
The company raised $91 million Michael B. Farrell, “Care.com’s IPO Raises About $91m,” Boston Globe, January 24, 2014, bostonglobe.com/business/2014/01/24/care-com-raises-million-ipo/N5navjOBBhUWRM1y0p0IBL/story.html.
it was valued at $1.4 billion Chris Deiterich, “Bright Horizons Blazes in Its Debut,” Wall Street Journal, January 25, 2013, online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323539804578263932897208500.
townhouses geared toward multigenerational families Aaron Glantz, “Multigenerational Housing Is a Real Estate Growth Niche,” New York Times, April 21, 2011, nytimes.com/2011/04/22/us/22cncmultigenerational.html.
“social consciousness of the 1960’s” Patricia Leigh Brown, “Growing Old Together, in New Kind of Commune,” New York Times, February 27, 2006, nytimes.com/2006/02/27/national/27commune.html.
the Caring Across Generations movement “What Is Caring Across Generations?,” Caring Across Generations, caringacross.org/about-us.
the Family Caregiver Alliance “About FCA,” Family Caregiver Alliance, caregiver.org/about-fca.
The Caring Economy Campaign “About,” Caring Economy Campaign, caringeconomy.org.
“a City upon a hill” John Winthrop, “A Model of Christian Charity (1630),” Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, gilderlehrman.org/sites/default/files/inline-pdfs/A%20Model%20of%20Christian%20Charity.pdf.
Britain, for example “Maternity Pay and Leave,” Gov.uk, gov.uk/maternity-pay-leave/pay.
other industrialized countries Gretchen Livingston, “Among 38 Nations, U.S. Is the Outlier When It Comes to Paid Parental Leave,” Pew Research Center, December 12, 2013, pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2013/12/12/among-38-nations-u-s-is-the-holdout-when-it-comes-to-offering-paid-parental-leave; Sarah Thompson, Robin Osborn, David Squires, and Miraya Jun, eds., “International Profiles of Health Care Systems, 2012,” Commonwealth Fund, November 2012, commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Fund%20Report/2012/Nov/1645_Squires_intl_profiles_hlt_care_systems_2012.pdf.
As previously noted, the United States is one of the few wealthy countries that does not have universal healthcare or paid maternity leave. However, there are several countries that provide paternity leave as well, some of it fairly ample. Norway, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia, Sweden, and Germany all give new fathers eight weeks or more of paid parental leave.
When it comes to care for the elderly and chronically ill, Denmark treats its citizens wonderfully. According to the Commonwealth Fund, institutionalized care has been deemphasized over the years because of “conscious policy efforts” to allow
people to stay in their own homes, which the vast number of chronically ill people prefer (this is also true of the elderly in the United States). In Denmark, “Home nursing (hjemmesygepleje) is fully funded after medical referral. Permanent home care (hjemmehjælp) is free of charge, while temporary home care can qualify for cost-sharing if income is above DKK138,600 (US$23,776) for singles and DKK208,200 (US$35,715) for couples.”
“We have decided that raising a child” T. R. Reid, “Norway Pays Price for Family Values,” Washington Post, November 1, 1998, cited in Ann Crittenden, The Price of Motherhood: Why the Most Important Job in the World Is Still the Least Valued (New York: Henry Holt, 2002), p. 192.
an immigrant to Denmark “A Family Affair: Intergenerational Social Mobility across OECD Countries,” OECD Economic Policy Reforms, Going for Growth, 2010, oecd.org/tax/public-finance/chapter%205%20gfg%202010.pdf.
Canada, for instance Raj Chetty, Nathaniel Hendren, Patrick Kline, Emmanuel Saez, and Nick Turner, “Is the United States Still a Land of Opportunity? Recent Trends in Intergenerational Mobility,” American Economic Review Papers and Proceedings 104, no. 5 (2014): 141–47; Miles Corak, “Social Mobility and Social Institutions in Comparison: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States,” Sutton Trust/Carnegie Foundation Seminar on Social Mobility, London, May 21–22, 2012, milescorak.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/social_mobility_summit_v3.pdf; Rana Foroohar, “What Ever Happened to Upward Mobility?,” Time, November 14, 2011, content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2098584,00.html; Fareed Zakaria, “The Downward Path of Upward Mobility,” Washington Post, November 9, 2011, washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-downward-path-of-upward-mobility/2011/11/09/gIQAegpS6M_story.html; Fareed Zakaria, “Social Immobility Erodes the American Dream,” Washington Post, August 14, 2013, washingtonpost.com/opinions/fareed-zakaria-social-immobility-erodes-american-dream/2013/08/14/c2fc6092-04fa-11e3-88d6-d5795fab4637_story.html.
Unfinished Business Page 30