When the nonprofit organisation, Family and Home Network (FAHN), realised that Wikipedia's Stay-at-Home Mother page redirects to ‘Housewife’, they launched a writing project to set the record straight. They cite the work of our sister-organisation, FEFFAF in their article.

Anne Fennell has just returned from a trip to New York for the UN 68th Commission on the Status of Women. It was her first trip to the UN as President of the European Federation of Parents and Carers at Home whilst also representing MAHM.

After 14 years of campaigning, we were pleased to hear the Chancellor state publicly that the Child Benefit Tax Charge was unfair to families particularly where one parent stays at home to care. 

The fact that the principle of household taxation was publicly acknowledged means there is a public recognition that the principle can be changed to make life fairer for families. 

This is our last chance before the Spring budget to put pressure on the Chancellor to make Child Benefit fairer. Please write to your MP now to add your voice to the increasing pressure on the Chancellor to rectify this unjust tax charge.

We are delighted to announce that our research director Dr Maria Lyons has had her report published by independent think tank Civitas. Maria has reviewed 40 academic studies on universal childcare and finds a worrying lack of evidence on its supposed benefits. Universal childcare is frequently claimed to give every child the ‘best start in life’ but is this really the case?

Anne Fennell talks to the Make Mothers Matter Network Coordinator Sarah Krimi. Mothers At Home Matter are grass roots members of the international MMM.

Is more childcare going to be good for babies and toddlers? Putting to one side for the moment the important questions of whether the new expansion of childcare will help mothers back to work (something that is debatable) and whether the majority of mothers would prefer childcare to caring for their babies themselves (also worth a debate), this important question is not being discussed in the public response.

The Chancellor has listened to the cry of childcare but is he prepared for the cry of separation? Mr Hunt has put another nail in the coffin for mothers wanting to make the choice to stay home to care. This attack on our freedom is justified in the name of productivity. ‘Getting mothers into paid work will boost the economy and growth’. But it is based on the insulting myth that mothers nurturing babies and toddlers are doing nothing at home; they are ‘inactive economic units’.

Thank you for all your support during 2022 — we couldn’t make a noise without you!

This past week, 21st February, the Duchess visited Denmark —reported to have the world’s happiest children — looking to learn from their approach to early childhood.

In one aspect of parenting the Danish are less free than us. We wrote a joint letter MAHM wrote a letter to the Duchess together with our sister organisations in Sweden (Haro) and Denmark (HJEM) and a Danish professor for Early Childhood (Ole Henrik Hansen) to raise the situation, as we understand it, of the challenges faced by mothers wishing to be home.

Anne Fennell, our Chair, has been asked to speak on behalf of Mother At Home Matter alongside Miriam Cates MP and three other guests to speak about parenting in a digital age.

The event will explore the impact of social media, phones, gaming, new technology - the benefits and the harms and look at the importance of the home and of family life.

“Given everything that science tells us about the critical importance of the earliest years of life, our babies and toddlers must now be a priority for Government as we recover from the pandemic.” We co-signed a letter from 1001 First Days Movement to the Home Secretary.

Calling all members…a chance to push for change. MPs want your views! Politics is led by public opinion and one of the key steps forward is to show there is an appetite for change. Miriam Cates MP and Danny Kruger MP would like to hear the views of our members and friends. Family policy and the unfairness in the taxation system is something that they are particularly concerned about. Add your voice!

Don’t miss listening to Steve Biddulph and Naomi Stadlen at the 2021 What About The Children? national online conference on the 24th March.

Starting this January, MAHM will be running a series of focus groups as part of an effort to engage directly with members and learn more about members' circumstances and experiences, particularly over this past year.

If you might be interested in sharing your story and chatting to others about what life is like for you, please do get in touch for further information to be sent to you.

Time Sensitive. Deadline is 23rd October 2020.

“The time from conception to the age of 2 is a critical time for development and can impact physical health, mental health and opportunity throughout life. The Early Years Healthy Development Review like to hear from recent parents, including those who gave birth during the lockdown and public health response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, about the experiences of care and services you received.”

Are you a new mother? Add your voice to MAHM’s and respond to this consultation.

This June we answered the call for evidence from the Centre for Social Justice and Fabian Society for the Cross Party Early Years Commission. The document which we submitted contain a summary of and reference to much of the fascinating and important research in the field of early years development.

This year one of our partner organisations, What About The Children?, will be holding their 2020 national conference online via a series of webinars.