The UK government's Early Years childcare policy — aimed at providing 30 hours of formal childcare per week from nine months old — is being promoted as beneficial for the economy and working mothers, but lacks clear evidence that it is in the best interest of children.

The 2024 MAHM hybrid annual conference was another highly successful event. Sally Greenhill reports back on the day.

Two recent research studies asked women for their views on caregiving responsibilities and work. Do the reports tell the same story? Only up to a point.

The 2023 MAHM hybrid annual conference was highly successful with nearly 170 tickets sold, both to attend in-person and online – the most so far for any MAHM conference. Sally Greenhill reports back on the day.

On International Women’s Day 2023, Roxana Tigelaar — our new editor of our biannual, printed newsletter — lists things that a stay-at-home-mum does during all that ‘free’ time she has when not ‘barefoot in the kitchen’! She shares this long list with us here.

Maria Lyons reviews Erica Komisar’s new book, Chicken Little, The Sky isn’t Falling.

We are looking for case studies to show just how hard it is for families and to highlight the challenges faced by those wanting to care at home. Catherine, one of our members, has kindly put forward her story in the hope that by changing how we support families other mothers will not have to suffer in the same way.

International Women’s Day is supposed to celebrate the movement for women’s rights yet Roisin Harkin, felt somewhat flat on March 8th this year. First published in our bi-annual, printed newsletter, here she explores what being a ‘stay-at-home mum’ can feel like in a society in which we’ve been promised that we ‘can have it all’.

Reform of the tax system is needed to help ‘hard-working families’, writes Mothers At Home Matter’s chair, Anne Fennell. Families are struggling. They face an unprecedented rise in fuel and energy costs in the realm of £2k a year but do not have the means of meeting this. Many of the problems families face arise from a tax system which far from helping them does not even recognise them and whilst it elevates the individual it creates the problems which will see families pushed further into poverty. 

MAHM Member and breastfeeding support volunteer, Harriet Rudd, writes about the benefits of La Leche League and the support and information they offer to mothers.