Latest news with #workingmothers
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Returnships for Moms: Top Companies and How They Work
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce reported in 1989 that 86% of mothers cited home and family care as the leading reason for exiting the workforce. In 2021, 79% reported the same reason. No working mother decides to step away from the workforce lightly. Unfortunately, women overwhelmingly represent spouses who do not participate in the labor force to provide care. Yet whether driven by childcare needs, elder caregiving responsibilities, or mental health, time away from a career can often lead to one of the most daunting question, 'If I want to go back, how do I return?' The answer: a returnship. A growing trend reshaping how companies welcome back professionals who've taken a career pause, returnships give working mothers a chance to brush up on skills and ease back into a full-time job without having to start from scratch. A background gap is viewed as part of the returnee's unique story. Returnships should not be mistaken for charitable initiatives; they are strategic investments in experienced talent. They are often recognized as a DEI initiative and talent pipeline driver, particularly for mothers seeking to reenter the workplace with dignity, support, and a clear path forward. Unlike internships targeting early-career candidates, returnships are tailored for individuals with prior professional experience. They have higher expectations and more tailored support, but competition for these roles can be fierce. Returnships are a structured, short-term paid program (usually lasting between 12 and 24 weeks) with specific eligibility criteria and application timelines. Participants are assigned real projects, receive mentorship from senior leaders, and are offered training to refresh technical and soft skills. They are more common in specific fields, such as tech, finance, and consulting. Goldman Sachs pioneered the concept with its Returnship program, which launched in 2008. Not all returnships guarantee a full-time position, but many programs are designed as 'try-before-you-hire' experiences that often result in permanent offers. While many are paid, the compensation may not match a full-time role. Some programs lack flexibility in hours, which can still be challenging for caregivers. For example, Goldman Sachs states that exceptional performance during their program may lead to consideration for full-time roles, depending on business needs and individual qualifications. For global companies, they're often available in multiple regions. Working mothers who feel disconnected from their previous industries, lack current references, or feel overwhelmed by technological change are prime candidates. Eligibility requirements vary by company, but returnships typically target individuals with a career break of two or more years. Some programs focus exclusively on mothers, while others are open to any caregiver or mid-career professional who stepped away for personal reasons. Companies often look for candidates with prior industry experience, transferable skills, and the willingness to learn and adapt. Over 100 companies work with Path Forward, a nonprofit that partners with employers to create mid-career return-to-work opportunities. These partnerships include major employers such as Walmart, Netflix, Audible, Amazon, Meta, Apple, PayPal, and SAP. They provide a Returnship Builder tool to assist companies in planning and implementing these programs effectively. Path Forward also helps the working mother returning to work restart their career after taking time off for family responsibilities. They provide resources like career advice, success stories, and the Returnship Matcher tool to help individuals find opportunities that fit their backgrounds and goals. Career coaches advise applicants to tailor their résumés to highlight skills over chronology, emphasize volunteer or caregiving experience, and demonstrate a growth mindset. Several Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders have established returnship programs in recent years, reflecting a broader shift toward inclusive hiring practices. Some of the most well-known include: For mothers reentering the workforce, returnships offer substantial benefits. While foundational skills may have been acquired through college or previous roles, even a short absence from the workforce can necessitate a skill refresh. Industries such as finance and healthcare are dynamic, with frequent updates to automation tools, data dashboards, and software-as-a-service (SaaS) programs. Additionally, regulations and compliance expectations in these sectors evolve regularly due to technological advancements, political shifts, and changes in consumer protection laws. Returnships provide structured opportunities to update these skills and stay current with industry standards. Self-doubt is a common challenge among working mothers returning to the workforce, influenced by external and internal perceptions. Societal biases, often called the motherhood penalty, suggest that mothers are less committed or current in their professional roles, leading to fewer opportunities and stalled promotions. Internally, many mothers report feelings of disconnection from their previous roles and uncertainty about succeeding in high-performance environments after time away. This internalized pressure to "prove themselves" anew is compounded when peers have advanced during their absence. Up to 70% of all jobs are not published on publicly available job search sites, and research has long shown that anywhere from half to upwards of 80% of jobs are filled through networking. Networking is pivotal in securing employment, especially for those reentering the workforce. Employers often trust candidates recommended by their existing employees, making referrals a powerful tool in the job search process. Returnships provide skill updates and facilitate the rebuilding of professional networks, leading to mentorship opportunities, job leads, freelance gigs, and potential full-time roles. Returnships directly address the broken rung in the corporate ladder, where men significantly outnumber women at the manager, director, and C-Suite levels, enabling women to re-enter the workforce at a level that aligns with their experience and potential. They offer a critical on-ramp back into leadership pipelines. Returnships acknowledge a fundamental truth: careers aren't always linear, and taking a break, especially for caregiving, shouldn't disqualify someone from meaningful work. For companies, returnships rebuild the pipeline of qualified female leaders, thus diversifying thought at the leadership level and creating more growth opportunities. By investing in returnships, companies send a clear message to women: careers can pause for personal needs, and still progress.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘This is out of control'; SNAP benefits theft victims plead for help
MARSHALL COUNTY, Ala. (WHNT) — Food stamp benefits are the lifeline for thousands of families in the state of Alabama, but thieves are stealing that lifeline one account at a time. As many of us prepare to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, thousands of others, like Deneise Allred, a working single mother, are trying to make ends meet. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. 'I have a job and I'm in college and I stay with my mom every now and then and I do what I have to do to survive,' Allred explained. 'I'm not out here begging and borrowing and stealing. I'm working hard to get where I'm at.' Allred relies on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to pay for groceries, but she told News 19 that this may be the third consecutive month that crooks have stolen her benefits money from her account. 'I spent $41 and change from it, and that following Sunday, which was two days prior, I went to get groceries, and when I got up to the register, there was nothing but .52 cents on my account. Someone from Brooklyn, New York, stole all my food stamps at 2:59 a.m.,' said Allred. Allred demanded answers from the Marshall County Department of Human Resources (DHR) about why her food stamps keep getting stolen. She and thousands of others were given the same answer from the state DHR: that there is nothing that they can do. The federal authority to replace SNAP benefits expired in December 2024, but DHR released its latest efforts to combat SNAP benefits fraud, announcing a new website and a secure mobile app for clients. 'The Food Assistance Division has worked tirelessly to implement these features for our clients to continue putting food on the table and feed their families without interruption,' a DHR spokesperson said. 'They need to protect us, that's what they are supposed to do,' replied Allred. DHR released a statement, which can be found below: Alabama DHR Announces ConnectEBT App (1)Download Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Expansion of free childcare rolls out today – here's who is eligible
The government's expansion of free childcare will empower women to have larger families, according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. Starting Monday, working parents of children aged nine months and older can apply for up to 30 hours of free childcare per week starting from 1 September, continuing until their child reaches school age. Ms Phillipson highlighted the scheme's potential to provide working mothers with greater flexibility in balancing their careers and family lives. She said: "They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours." The initiative, originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, represents a significant investment in childcare support and is expected to facilitate a "generational shift" for working women, according to the education secretary. The expanded access to free childcare aims to alleviate financial burdens and offer greater freedom in career and family planning. The expansion of funded childcare began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. Ms Phillipson said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15 million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: 'Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.' The announcement comes as Labour is under increased pressure to scrap the tory era two-child benefit cap policy. This prevents parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit for their third or more child. Charities have warned it could bring child poverty to record high by 2029.
The Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Labour's childcare drive will let women have more children, education minister says
The government's expansion of free childcare will empower women to have larger families, according to Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson. Starting Monday, working parents of children aged nine months and older can apply for up to 30 hours of free childcare per week starting from 1 September, continuing until their child reaches school age. Ms Phillipson highlighted the scheme's potential to provide working mothers with greater flexibility in balancing their careers and family lives. She said: "They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours." The initiative, originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, represents a significant investment in childcare support and is expected to facilitate a "generational shift" for working women, according to the education secretary. The expanded access to free childcare aims to alleviate financial burdens and offer greater freedom in career and family planning. The expansion of funded childcare began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. Ms Phillipson said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15 million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: 'Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.' The announcement comes as Labour is under increased pressure to scrap the tory era two-child benefit cap policy. This prevents parents from claiming universal credit or tax credit for their third or more child. Charities have warned it could bring child poverty to record high by 2029.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Generational shift' in free childcare will give women freedom, says Phillipson
Women will be given added 'freedom' to have more children by expanded government-funded childcare, the Education Secretary has said. Starting Monday, working parents of children who turn nine months old before September 1 can apply to access up to 30 hours of free childcare per week, until their child is old enough to start school. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson told the Daily Mail the scheme, originally introduced by the previous Conservative government, would give working mothers more freedom to balance work and family life. 'They will be able to make choices about the career that's right for them, the hours that they want, but also [have] the freedom to think about family size and how many children they want to have, with support from the Government around childcare hours,' she said. 'That brings huge benefits to working women and this is a generational shift in terms of the new funding that's been put in place.' The expansion of funded childcare began being rolled out in England in April last year for working parents of two-year-olds. Working parents of children older than nine months are currently able to access 15 hours of funded childcare a week, before the full rollout of 30 hours a week to all eligible families in September. The Labour Government announced up to to 4,000 childcare places are set to be rolled out at new or expanded school-based nurseries in England from September. Ms Phillipson said she had been 'flat out to make sure we've got as many places available as possible'. The Department for Education (DfE) has approved the first round of funding for 300 school-based nursery projects across England. Ministers @bphillipsonMP and @AnnelieseDodds on how we're improving the quality and accessibility of childcare, opening up more choices for women and their families, and putting more pounds in their pockets. — Office for Equality and Opportunity (@oeogovuk) February 13, 2025 Each successful school, which were able to apply for up to £150,000, will receive the amount of funding they bid for to repurpose or extend existing spaces and deliver childcare provision. The first 300 school-based nurseries will offer an average of 20 places per site and up to 6,000 new places in total, with up to 4,000 set to be available by the end of September, the DfE said. It comes after schools were able to bid for a share of £15 million funding in October to deliver up to 300 new or expanded nurseries across England. Labour said in its manifesto that it would open an additional 3,000 nurseries through 'upgrading space' in primary schools. Jason Elsom, chief executive of Parentkind, said: 'Parents often struggle with finding good quality childcare, and many will welcome this investment, especially as parents with more than one child may be saved from the mad dash from nursery to school in the morning and afternoon.'
