As working moms, we need a government that listens to our needs, so it’s great to know when our voices have been heard. These Acts focus on the issues crucial to moms. Some have been signed into laws and some are in progress, but all are important. And here’s to passing even more family-friendly legislation. 

CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act) The greatest expansion of insurance coverage for kids since the advent of Medicaid.

• Committed to providing health insurance for the children of uninsured families
• Increased outreach for states with Medicaid-eligible children who are not enrolled, but could be quite easily
• An estimated 3.2 million children will gain new coverage under the reauthorization
• Improved outreach to minority populations, especially Native Americans
• $200 million dollars in grants to improve nationwide dental coverage for children

Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 The largest minimum wage increase in history gives working families a leg up.

• Raised the federal minimum wage from $5.15/hour to $7.25/hour over 26 months  

Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007 Improves the popular early childhood program, and increases participation by 35 percent.

• Funds boost the educational programs of nationwide Head Starts, which have served over 20 million children and families in 40 years
• Better training for teachers, aimed towards children with disabilities
• Expansion in Early Head Start to start education earlier (when children’s brains are growing the fastest)
• Strengthens the voice of parents in the management of such programs

Paycheck Fairness Act A law proposed to help end the continuing pay disparity between men and women.

• Places sex-based pay discrimination alongside race-based discrimination
• Prohibits employers from broadly excusing pay differences between a man and a woman, evidence is needed to prove that it is something other than sex
• Allows employees to openly discuss and reveal salaries amongst themselves without punishment from employers
• Establishes a program geared towards teaching women how to better negotiate compensation

Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2007 Introduced to further ease the financial burden of child care costs for working parents.

• Committed to increasing tax credit for employers seeking to establish child care facilities
• Encourages the use of quality child care for employees with children
• Provides tax credit for recent college graduates to enter child-care related fields

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) Reform Act Aimed at making products safer for children.

• Bans the use of lead in children’s products, which will require third-party testing
• Proposed to help strengthen CPSC’s aggressive research on product recall related to children
• Seeks to provide 50 percent more funding for CPSC over the next seven years, as well as increasing employment to at least 500 people by 2013
• Ensures the refunding of recalls to customers
• Prohibits further commercial gain on manufactured recalls, all recalled products must be removed from stores immediately

College Student Relief Act of 2007 A bill recently passed by the house that will make college a more affordable and realistic option for more families.

• Seeks to reduce certain interest rates on college loans, as well as payments to lenders
• An estimated $65 million of direct-spending will be reduced between 2007-2012 and $7.1 billion by 2017