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President Bill Clinton
January 25, 2000
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But who's at home? Over the last twenty years, women have made up 2/3rds of the net growth in
the labor force - the overwhelming majority of them mothers. Through the 1990s, 74% of
mothers with children 6 to 17 did paid work; 59% of mothers with children 6 and under, and
53% of women with children 1 and under worked. And most - 71% - of employed mothers work
full time year round. Furthermore, 55% of these new women providers earn about half or more
of the family income - 18% provide it all, 11% more than half, and 26% about half.
To sum it up, hidden inside the new prosperity is a bubble of sadness, a care deficit. The pincher
effect of globalization is putting the squeeze on families - on the work side by reducing earning
power, decreasing security and raising hours, and on the care side by reducing public provision
and the number of helping hands at home. And this care deficit impacts the middle class and
everyone on down.
Americans are responding to this care deficit the way we respond to everything else - through a
lens of stoical individualism. Insofar as we prize independence, self sufficiency, the absence of
weakness we absorb rather than try to resolve the care deficit. "Care?" we say, "I don't need
care. I can do without care. I can take care of myself."
But, at the same time we can draw on our tradition of Tocquevillian activism and the fine track
record of the Democratic Party in setting moral incentives and spending the peace dividend as
follows:
Extend the Family and Medical Leave Act to offer paid leave to workers in small as well as
large firms.
Establish a national prize for the most Family Friendly company in the country, including in
the criteria actual employee utilization of family-friendly policies - of flextime, flexplace,
job-sharing, part time work with benefits, career sabbaticals.
Establish a national prize for projects such as the Fatherhood Project in New York, which
encourages fathers to help out at their children's childcare center, (cook national dishes, show
trade skills) and which sponsors support groups for unmarried fathers trying to reach out to
their children.
Subsidize the pay of child care workers - who currently earn less than dog catchers and
parking meter attendants and a third of whom annually quit their jobs to search of more
lucrative work. (Contact the Worthy Wage Campaign office in Washington D.C.)
A White House Conference on Care.
A White House Conference on Family-Friendly Reforms.
Presidential visits to the best sites for childcare and eldercare, and best examples of well
paid, progressive paid care as well as community-inspired informal care.
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"ocrText": "President Bill Clinton\nJanuary 25, 2000\nPage 2 of 3\nBut who's at home? Over the last twenty years, women have made up 2/3rds of the net growth in\nthe labor force - the overwhelming majority of them mothers. Through the 1990s, 74% of\nmothers with children 6 to 17 did paid work; 59% of mothers with children 6 and under, and\n53% of women with children 1 and under worked. And most - 71% - of employed mothers work\nfull time year round. Furthermore, 55% of these new women providers earn about half or more\nof the family income - 18% provide it all, 11% more than half, and 26% about half.\nTo sum it up, hidden inside the new prosperity is a bubble of sadness, a care deficit. The pincher\neffect of globalization is putting the squeeze on families - on the work side by reducing earning\npower, decreasing security and raising hours, and on the care side by reducing public provision\nand the number of helping hands at home. And this care deficit impacts the middle class and\neveryone on down.\nAmericans are responding to this care deficit the way we respond to everything else - through a\nlens of stoical individualism. Insofar as we prize independence, self sufficiency, the absence of\nweakness we absorb rather than try to resolve the care deficit. \"Care?\" we say, \"I don't need\ncare. I can do without care. I can take care of myself.\"\nBut, at the same time we can draw on our tradition of Tocquevillian activism and the fine track\nrecord of the Democratic Party in setting moral incentives and spending the peace dividend as\nfollows:\nExtend the Family and Medical Leave Act to offer paid leave to workers in small as well as\nlarge firms.\nEstablish a national prize for the most Family Friendly company in the country, including in\nthe criteria actual employee utilization of family-friendly policies - of flextime, flexplace,\njob-sharing, part time work with benefits, career sabbaticals.\nEstablish a national prize for projects such as the Fatherhood Project in New York, which\nencourages fathers to help out at their children's childcare center, (cook national dishes, show\ntrade skills) and which sponsors support groups for unmarried fathers trying to reach out to\ntheir children.\nSubsidize the pay of child care workers - who currently earn less than dog catchers and\nparking meter attendants and a third of whom annually quit their jobs to search of more\nlucrative work. (Contact the Worthy Wage Campaign office in Washington D.C.)\nA White House Conference on Care.\nA White House Conference on Family-Friendly Reforms.\nPresidential visits to the best sites for childcare and eldercare, and best examples of well\npaid, progressive paid care as well as community-inspired informal care."
}