Mothers Income

A Valued Skill

The ALBA Party recognises the difficulties many mothers and other primary child-carers experience in juggling full-time, often low-paid, employment and being an effective parent. Day-care for small children is often impossible to find and can be prohibitively expensive.

Evidence shows that mothers who suffer from stress are often not able to bond properly with their child(ren) who can then go on to have difficulties in forming attachments and relationships with others in society. This can result in interrupted education, long term involvement with both the judicial system and social services. The detrimental impact on future generations is inevitable.

The provision of a universal guaranteed income for all mothers and others to cover the early years of life could help to alleviate stress within the home, take the strain from day-care organisations, and assist in improving the mental health of the whole community.

Conference acknowledges that many mothers and others choose to work, but many do not have the choice due to financial constraints and personal circumstances. All mothers should be given a choice of working full or part-time or at home as a carer. The mother’s instinct should be paramount, not her financial position.

The ALBA Party are committed to -

Re-establishing motherhood as a skilled and demanding vocation that is worthy of respect by the wider community. As such, the finance for such an innovation should be prioritised in budgets as being a longer-term solution to social problems that beset our society.

A guaranteed universal mothers and others income to help ensure that all mothers have an income, regardless of their education and accessibility to employment opportunities in their locality. An income along the same lines as the higher paid foster carers would be enough to enable all but those in the most difficult circumstances to make an informed choice but should not deter those mothers already in paid employment who have the resources to continue if they wish.