News
How to Make the U.S. a Better Place for Caregivers
In 2012, Anne Marie Slaughter write an article in The Atlantic (Why Women Still Can’t Have It All) that exploded on and off the internet, igniting a national dialog about the state of women in the United States, specifically around women and work and family and changes that are needed to make work work for […]
Photo Gallery | Mother’s Day of Action
On May 8, 2013 a group of Oregon mothers – and others! – gathered in our state capitol in Salem to deliver flowers and Mother’s day cards to all 90 of our state legislators and the Governor. Why? Because that’s what we get every year on Mother’s Day — yet we need far more than flowers to survive and thrive as mothers (click here to see an online version of the card we delivered and here for a fact sheet that spells out what moms need and why we need it). Here are some great pics of our first (and very floral) Mother’s Day of Action:
On Ending Maternal Poverty in Oregon
In The Oregonian’s Mother’s Day issue, FFO Executive Director Andrea Paluso wrote about our high maternal poverty rates and how we can reduce them. The solutions to maternal poverty are known. In fact, the majority of developed countries around the world have made major progress in addressing maternal and child poverty — the U.S. lags far behind.
Our Mother’s Day Card…for Oregon Legislators
On May 8, 2013 we delivered flowers and Mother’s Day cards to all 90 Oregon state legislators, 30 Senators and 60 Representatives in the House. It wasn’t just any Mother’s Day card, it was one we specially created to say what we went to Salem to say. Click here to open it yourself!
Caring Across Generations
This Mother’s Day, we’re partnering with Caring Across Generations, a national organization that is working to change the way America cares for seniors, supports people with disabilities, and values caregivers and in-home care workers. Caring for family members is one of the tenets of our work, and the struggle to do it well while staying economically […]
Walmart: Why Good Workplaces Matter
Well that was eye-opening! Last Sunday we screened the film Walmart: The High Price of Low Cost in Portland and had a very interesting panel conversation afterwards about why it’s important to have good jobs in our community, not just jobs.
A few messages from the film really resonated with us, and we wanted to share them with you. Maybe you agree?
Photo Gallery | Paid Sick Days for Portland
On March 13, 2013, the Portland City Council voted unanimously to allow all people working in Portland to earn sick time while they work (effective January, 2014). Here are some of the many, many people who made this step forward a reality.
Your income, your childcare?
We really like this thought-provoking post from the April 16th New York Times‘ Motherlode blog (which, by the way, is a treasure trove of interesting opinions and facts on modern parenting in America), Why do I think my salary pays for childcare? In it, a new (partnered) mom wonders why she sees it as solely her […]
Good News: Oregon Equal Pay Bill Advances
Good news from our state capitol on April 17, 2013: The Oregon Senate unanimously passed SB 744, which would require the Oregon Council on Civil Rights to conduct a study on wage inequality in Oregon. The resulting report for policy makers would provide a clear understanding of the barriers to wage equality in our state and […]
Our Guest Opinion on Equal Pay in The Oregonian
Today is the 99th day of 2013, slightly more than a quarter of the way through the year. It took this long for women in the United States to finally earn what their male counterparts earned in 2012. That’s right, it took women 15 months to earn what men earned in twelve. That’s because they still aren’t paid equally for equal work.
In praise of paternity leave
Other countries do it. Some men even do it. “It” being paternity leave. Turns out, when men take it, social norms change and parenting partnerships start out on a more equal footing that can last a long time. But to get men to take it, first you have to offer it, then you have to […]