LinkedIn adds Stay at Home Mom to job titles list; will it help women re-enter the workforce?

A few months ago, I was talking with a mom friend of mine who had not worked – outside of her home and the daily care of her four children, that is – since shortly after her first son was born 12 years ago. Before kids, she had not one but two gratifying careers, first as a schoolteacher, then as a registered nurse. 

Through the parent grapevine, she heard about an opening for a school nurse at her oldest son's school and wondered aloud whether she should apply. “That’s so perfect for you!” I exclaimed. “You’ve been talking about going back to work. … You’re going for it, right?” 

“Are you kidding?” she said. “I have no references, no letters of recommendation. How do I even begin to explain not working for the past 12 years?”