The hours after school are often rife with worry as moms and dads struggle to cobble together safe and adequate childcare arrangements. As a mom, I constantly worry about what is best for my daughters after school. Safety is key, but it is not enough.

When Caroline Kennedy wanted to be considered for Hillary Clinton's seat in the US Senate, a number of articles appeared presenting her as the icon of mid-life womanhood, returning to the workplace after years spent in the home raising children. To which I thoughtfully responded, "Huh?"

The passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009 is a victory for American workers. It restores the law to where it was prior to the Supreme Court decision. And it could not have happened without the guidance of Senator Kennedy and the leadership of Senator Mikulski.

In today’s economic crisis, women and families have been hit the hardest. Women struggling in this tough economy have had to make impossible decisions between health care for their children and paying rent or mortgages. But even in the best of times, women are still at disadvantage. After decades of struggle for equality, women still earn only 78 cents for every dollar earned by a man.