More Women in the Workplace?

In a recent speech at Rhode Island College, President Obama discussed the need for more mothers to have access to “quality day care” so they can enter and remain in the workplace. He stated “sometimes, someone, usually mom, leaves the workplace to stay home with the kids, which then leaves her earning a lower wage for the rest of her life as a result. And that’s not a choice we want Americans to make” (WhiteHouse.gov, October 31, 2014). His solution? “So let’s make this happen. By the end of this decade, let’s enroll 6 million children in high-quality preschool, and let’s make sure that we are making America stronger” (ibid.). 

But will this really make America stronger? The reason many single moms have to work is because of broken homes—and this “band aid” will not solve that problem. In the U.S. there are now over 11 million children in daycare for more than 35 hours per week (Childcare in America). In 2002, the EU also set the goal of providing non-family childcare for 90 percent of children age 3 and above, in order to make it possible for all women to join the workforce (EuroStat).

The sad reality is that many parents are no longer raising their children—the “system” is now the “parent” of many children—so more women can work outside the home. The consequence is that children miss the valuable upbringing only a dedicated mother can give. This will change when Christ returns and men and women learn the importance of fulfilling the roles for which God created them.

For more information be sure to read our booklet, Successful Parenting: God’s Way.