Editorial TeamMothers reentering the workforce after taking time off to care for their children may face various challenges, from finding suitable job opportunities to managing work and family life demands. Mothers may also experience mental health challenges related to the stress and pressure of balancing multiple responsibilities.
There are a variety of parenting hacks, or resources, available to support and empower moms. Online communities, social media groups, and parenting forums offer a wealth of information and connection with other moms. Many organizations also provide workshops, classes, and support groups to help moms navigate the challenges of motherhood.
In addition, telehealth services and virtual counseling have become more accessible, providing moms with mental health support from the comfort of their homes. With these parenting hacks, resources and more, moms can find the support they need to thrive and raise healthy, happy families. Fortunately, various parenting hacks are available to support mothers in this situation. Here are some options to consider.
Parenting Hacks: Companies
A Kid Again: nonprofit helping moms of kids with life-threatening conditions. Moms of kids with complex medical conditions will tell you there are many hard days – doctor’s appointments, therapies, surgeries, and hospital visits. That’s where A Kid Again comes in. To help these families have carefree fun and create meaningful moments together through group activities called Adventures.
Climb Hire: career upskilling nonprofit organization that helps hidden and overlooked talent develop the soft and technical skills and the professional network needed to break into new careers and earn a livable wage.
Comfort Zone Camp: first-ever national 501c3 bereavement camp that serves children and their families who have experienced the death of a loved one.
Ellevate: a dynamic community that connects mothers with a mentor.
Emulait: developed the first baby bottle to mimic a breast as closely as possible: from the milk flow to the texture, color, and elasticity of the nipple itself. It is the only bottle on the market that closes the gap between breast and bottle feeding, making it entirely possible for mom to give baby a bottle and then return to the breast.
Fresh Starts Registry: a support services-driven platform that delivers vetted experts and products to users, removing the overwhelm of starting over. The Fresh Starts Registry platform supports those going through brave and bold changes from divorce to job changes, coming out to living through grief and long-distance moves.
Intuitive Eating Momma: mental health parenting hack for mothers of all ages. Through 1:1 counseling, moms heal their relationship with food and their body via intuitive eating to finally start feeling confident and beautiful no matter their size.
Life Happens: a non-profit organization aiming to educate consumers with free and unbiased financial advice to create a sound financial plan.
Lilvil: an a la carte concierge service for parents. Parents can quickly outsource tasks like finding activities for kids, planning meals, finding childcare, and more.
Lionrock: For mothers that are considering shifting to mindful drinking methods or sober lifestyles, Lionrock offers substance use disorder (SUD) treatment recovery, including group therapy, podcasts, and other parenting hacks.
Mamieli: an educational platform offering a vast content library filled with cheat sheets for moms that include topics of breastfeeding, baby health, labor & delivery, mental health, and recovery. Accredited experts co-write and review all published content to ensure it’s medically accurate based on the latest research.
Momentum Park: nonprofit supporting women of color in navigating the perinatal period through online social communities. Founded by an OB-GYN to combat the Black maternal health crisis.
Onoco: all-in-one marketing app designed by parents for parents. Tools cover essential activity tracking, including insights and analysis; a shared schedule and routine manager; journal and photo sharing; and baby development milestones. Onoco is also inherently shareable, with users able to add up to five family members and one professional caregiver at no additional cost.
Parentaly: startup supporting employers in providing better paid leave. Programs are offered as an employee benefit (i.e., company-paid), but they also have free resources to help navigate parental leave.
Partum Health: Chicago-based digital health company supporting moms and families navigating fertility, pregnancy, and postpartum. Includes virtual doula support nationwide, mental health, birth and postpartum doula care, lactation, nutrition, and PT. All the care that moms struggle to get today.
Path Forward: works with companies and mothers looking for jobs to find internships for adults to help women learn new skills and rejoin the workforce.
Postpartum Support International: non-profit advocating for and supporting moms and parents with mental health challenges related to the perinatal period. Includes free support groups online, via text, and a directory of qualified professionals.
Prospera Mental Health & Wellness: a maternal mental health platform founded by a mom who’s also a clinical psychologist with extensive experience in CBT.
Pumpspotting: offers comprehensive workplace lactation programs that support moms reentering the workforce. Employers get everything needed to support their feeding families—from guidance on state and federal regulations, lactation spaces, milk expression policies, and best-in-class practices. Parents, whether they are breastfeeding, pumping, or combo feeding, receive everything they need to feed, including a virtual community to combat isolation, unlimited, in-app access to lactation consultants, location-enabled, mom-approved places to nurse and pump across the globe, and personalized support including a feeding tracker.
SoundMind: meeting the needs of adolescents (and students through educational partnerships) by using personalized music therapy to manage their stress, anxiety, and trauma.
Stocked: helps moms save money on grocery bills and invest their savings.
TOOTRiS: Child Care digitizing the industry and creating an online marketplace for parents, providers, and employers to connect.
Toy Trader: app designed for parents to list items and sell them for in-app coins. This helps parents retain their value but still pass it along to other families that could use it now. They can then shop the marketplace with their in-app coins for items their kids may enjoy now.
Willow Innovations: supports moms on their holistic feeding journey, which includes providing working breastfeeding and chestfeeding partners resources to support the transition back to work.
Conclusion
Mothers who are reentering the workforce and struggling with their mental health have various parenting hacks, or resources, available to them. There are a variety of online resources and support groups available for moms, such as The Mom Project and HeyMama, which offer job listings, networking opportunities, and support for working moms.
Professional associations can also provide support to mothers who are reentering the workforce. For example, the National Association of Professional Women offers networking opportunities, career development resources, and other support to women in various industries.
Many non-profit organizations offer support and parenting hacks for moms struggling with mental health issues. Mothers must prioritize their mental health as they navigate the challenges of returning to work. A range of help is available to support mental health, including counseling services, support groups, and self-help resources like books and online courses.
There are a number of non-profit organizations that offer resources and support to mothers who are reentering the workforce. Some examples include Moms Mental Health Initiative and MomsRising, which advocates for policies that support working families, and Path Forward, which provides returnship programs for women who have taken a career break.
Some employers offer programs and resources to support mothers who are returning to work, such as flexible scheduling, telecommuting options, and on-site childcare. Employers may also offer employee assistance programs (EAPs) that provide counseling and other mental health services to employees and their families.
Several government programs can support mothers who are reentering the workforce. For example, the Women’s Business Centers (WBC) program provides training, counseling, and other parenting hacks to help women start and grow successful businesses. The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) also includes tax credits to employers who hire individuals from certain target groups, including long-term unemployed individuals and welfare recipients.
The Affordable Care Act requires insurance providers to cover mental health and substance abuse services, which can provide access to affordable mental health care, and the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for family and medical reasons, including mental health issues. Additionally, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 temporarily increases the child tax credit and earned income tax credit, providing additional financial support for families.