One way you can impact that is to give women a voice.

-DR. ANN ANDERSON-BERRY, MEDICAL DIRECTOR, NPQIC

Nebraska scored an “F,” while the U.S. as a whole scored a “D.” Contributing to the problem is a national shortage of mental health care providers and a question of reimbursement for other health care providers. Through its Perinatal Depression Screening Initiative, NPQIC works one-onone with hospitals and providers to install time-efficient screenings.

Holistic Care

At A Mother’s Love, which focuses on Black and minority women, mental health is more nuanced.

“There’s a lot of stress because of the different socioeconomic disparities,” King said.

For example, figuring out how to financially support a new family member is stressful for anyone. It’s heightened for individuals who lack insurance or paid time off; Individuals who come from cost-burdened households, or lack a solid support structure.

Returning To Work

Meet the Experts:

Alicia Frieze is the workforce development director for the Council Bluffs Chamber of Commerce. One of the programs she steers is the L.I.F.T. (Leveraging Individual Female Talent) Mentor Program, which supports women restarting their careers after an extended absence.

Robyn Porter is the director of human resources at Iowa Western Community College. Porter has over 30 years of experience in human resources. She left the workplace for five years to raise her children but kept running her homebased business.

Job searching can be stressful at any stage in an individual’s life. However, a parent returning to the workforce after an extended absence needs to know how to navigate conversations that can easily cross into unprofessional territory, for both interviewer and interviewee. We asked two experts for their top tips.

What’s Best For You?

With a low employment rate and a growing economy, Frieze and Porter encouraged individuals to look for careers that are interesting and offer the desired work environment. Consider the schedule, benefits, and culture you feel is right for you and your family, and then match those desires to hiring companies.

The team identifies these stressors early and then plugs in resources like free financial literacy or homeowner classes. They provide supplies such as diapers, baby clothes, and hygiene products at their office.

“A little stressor to somebody can be a big stressor to someone else,” Traynham said.

Doula support, which costs between $1,000 to $2,000, can include meal prep, light cleaning, and newborn care while the mom takes a nap, shower, or eats.

Coté said the increasing number of employee assistance programs is an indicator that businesses understand the importance of their employees. However, he said a step further would be paid time off, regardless of business size.

“Sometimes it can be a hassle if you’re looking at it from the lens of a business, but, hopefully, businesses understand that if their employees are healthy then they do well at work,” he said.

Think Outside the Box

Think creatively and use your resume to highlight your unique skill sets and experiences.

“Emphasize transferable skills gained during your time away from work, such as organizational abilities, multitasking, and problem-solving skills acquired through managing a household,” Frieze said.

Likewise, volunteer work can demonstrate sought-after skills. Did you organize a fundraiser or event? Did you balance a budget?

“Don’t be afraid to list those you volunteered with as references,” Porter said. She also recommended that if you’re using a chronological resume, title your time away as a “stay-at-home-parent” and note that you were self-employed.

Be Honest, Then Move On

Understandably, employers may have questions about the career gap. Don’t be afraid to address this in your cover letter, and the interview.

“Frame your break as a conscious choice to prioritize family while demonstrating your commitment and enthusiasm to re-enter the workforce,” Frieze said.

While it’s important to explain the absence briefly, both Frieze and Porter emphasized that details aren’t necessary.

“You are not obligated to go into details about your children, your situation, or if you have daycare,” Porter said. “If an employer presses you for that information, I would not consider them to be a viable employer.”

Boomers Rewriting History In Business Succession

BY DWAIN HEBDA

Of all the history-making accomplishments of the baby boomer generation, the single greatest is yet to be written – the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, boomers own 2.34 million small businesses in the U.S., employing more than 25 million people with an extended impact on about 100 million total individuals. The estimated value of assets within those businesses varies, but most hover in the $10 trillion range.

Even though roughly one-third of the population relies on the smart management of these businesses, 70% of which are expected to change hands as boomers step out of the workplace, another recent stat has economists and business advisers nervous.

Wilmington Trust reported in a recent survey that nearly 60% of small business owners have failed to complete a succession plan and worse, many haven’t even given much thought to the sale or passing down of their companies.

Failing to Plan

This flies in the face of sound business planning said Anthony DeLuca, partner with Smith Pauley, who said failing to plan seriously jeopardizes the ability to exit a company in a way that serves the owners as well as the employees left behind.

“A succession plan should be viewed as a part of a business’s