At PACEY we know that the emotional impact on parents, and children, during the mother's transition back to work is all too often underestimated. Childcare providers play a vital role in alleviating parents’ concerns at this time.

To bring this issue to life, PACEY carried out research* amongst mothers which highlighted the emotional burden that mothers face when they return to the workplace after maternity leave.

Our research found:

• Nine out of 10 mums (90%) say they felt anxious about returning to work after having a child
• While around half of mums (48%) admitted to being very anxious
• 71% worried about the extent that they would miss their children
• The decision as to who would look after their children was a major worry - half of respondents (48%) were anxious that they wouldn’t find suitable childcare

We are working to raise aware of this issue and encourage parents to opt for high quality childcare settings - because we know that finding the right childcare will lessen parental anxiety about returning to work. 

We are encouraging parents to share concerns and issues and keep dialogue flowing with their childcare provider. Having a strong two-way relationship will benefit all and provide stability for the child.

We have issued a news release based on the research that can be downloaded here.

We've also developed information for parents to help manage the transition back to the workplace including top tips, factsheets and real life case studies.

Watch PACEY President Penny Tassoni and parent case study Karensa feature on ITV News (Meridian) talking about our research.