it, beginning with the family, is indicated. While it is true, as an ancient Greek remarked, that foresight is the last of the gifts granted by the gods to man, it is easy to see that the changes in family structure and functions due to the presence of millions of women in the work force will require completely new approaches to the challenges they present. The Department of Labor, the universities, and every possible private agency, new and old, ought to be engaged in planning for the New Age that is upon us, the Age of Partnership, of Cooperation, of Attachment.
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It should be clear that we are already faced with a crisis that will not go away, but which will increase in intensity at an accelerating rate unless we put in place a public policy that satisfactorily meets the needs of parents and children in a land which only dimly perceives that a problem exists. The crisis, the problem, is: How do we meet the needs of everyone involved in the families of working mothers? In talking and writing about the problem which faces the working mother especially, namely, the freedom to work and at the same time take care of the child, the importance and primacy of the child somehow tends to get lost in the debate. What must always be the primary consideration is the wellbeing of the child. Whatever arrangements may be made for the future, it is well to remember that there is no substitute for a loving mother, not even a loving father, for fathers are unable to breastfeed their children, and breastfeeding should be available to every child for at least a year, preferably longer, for the benefits of the child as well as the mother.
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Most authorities agree that children under three are better off with their mothers at home. Yet it is working mothers with children under three years of age who constitute the fastest growing segment of the work force. Many of these women will be employed in service or other positions during nonstandard hours, meaning they will work a schedule different from the traditional nine-to-five schedule. By the age of three, children need the experience and friendship of other children and people, and daycare centers can provide such opportunities. Until we have put in place those far better arrangements which I am about to suggest, we have to do what we can, as interim measures, with the following: maternity leave up to full pay for several years; paternity leave for a period to be determined according to the requirements of the situation; modulated working hours for
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