The challenges facing mothers are significant and growing. The lingering damage done by the pandemic and some of the subsequent government interventions has left the economy and labor market out of whack, all of which has put issues such as child care and paid leave back front and center.

Paid leave and child care are being discussed as part of Democrats’ potentially massive reconciliation package, a package unlikely to get any Republican support. The package being debated will spend over a trillion dollars on many other issues where there is little bipartisan consensus.