Still at Home: Participation in Paid Employment of Mothers of Children with Learning Disabilities

The growing numbers of mothers in the work‐force reflects the importance that paid employment now has in the lives of most women. This paper presents findings from a study exploring the employment situation and aspirations of mothers of children with learning disabilities. The findings suggest that being a mother of a child with learning disabilities has a significant and enduring impact on employment for these mothers. However, the majority of non‐working mothers of children with learning disabilities wanted to work. It is argued here that the employment of mothers of children with learning disabilities should be a more explicit focus for policy makers, researchers and service providers.