Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13894 | 30 September 2015

Ongoing maternal care for children

Signatories: Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Paride ANDREOLI, San Marino, SOC ; Mr Volodymyr ARIEV, Ukraine, EPP/CD ; Mr Joe BENTON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Brian BINLEY, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr James CLAPPISON, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Namik DOKLE, Albania, SOC ; Mr Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Thomas FEIST, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr Hans FRANKEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Sir Roger GALE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Valeri JABLIANOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Terry LEYDEN, Ireland, ALDE ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Andrei NEGUTA, Republic of Moldova, SOC ; Mr Robert NEILL, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Joseph O'REILLY, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr John PRESCOTT, United Kingdom, SOC

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly supports the rights and opportunities of mothers within Council of Europe member States to work, as it also does the right of children to ongoing maternal care.

In seeking to encourage both these purposes, it therefore advocates revised measures:

• providing financial assistance for maternal care in the home for a minimum of three years;
• ensuring that such care subsidy is independent of paid work;
• taking into account studies which conclude that there is a correlation between early direct maternal care and adult stability;
• recognising the results of such studies which show that the child benefits best from home care provided by mothers, fathers, grandparents and close family members rather than from that available in children’s’ day centres;

thus enhancing social cohesion within the communities of Council of Europe member States.