The number of mothers who need to be the primary or secondary source of family income has increased over the years, creating a greater need for young children to be placed in out-of-home care. Sixty percent of mothers with children under age six worked in 2008 compared with 33% in 1975 (Ruhm, 2011). There are certain policies in place both at state and federal levels that alleviate some of the financial pressure. The most significant is the 1993 Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which provides some parents the right to twelve weeks of unpaid leave following the birth of a child or for other reasons (Ruhm, 2011).
             However, compared to other countries, the United States is much more inadequate in encouraging mothers to stay home. In 2006 the United States was 1 of only 4 nations, of a total of 173, that did not guarantee some measure of paid maternity leave and, even more, significant, all other developed countries provide new parents rights to paid time off from work, and these entitlements often last well into early childhood (Ruhm, 2011). The simple truth is that from the moment of birth, children are learning the intellectual, social, physical, and emotional skills they will need to succeed and lead productive lives, so, therefore, our government should have policies in place that encourage and support mothers to stay home with their youngest children.
             Psychologists have suggested that the first year of a child's life is crucial to child development, because of early influences on brain development, learning skills, self-esteem and emotional security (Peng & Robins, 2010). One U.S. analysis found that return to work by mothers within twelve weeks of giving birth is associated with decreases in well-baby visits, breastfeeding, and child immunizations, and with lower cognitive scores and more behavioral problems at age four (Ruhm, 2011). For an infant to typically develop they must have "quality&qu
             ...