Why We Think Babies

Anna exhausted most of her unpaid leave to give birth to her son with her husband Gabriel. When Gareth turned 6 weeks, she had to return to work. As a newborn, Gareth was often ill with major allergies, asthma, and other complications. Without the benefit of paid leave to allow her to care for his complicated health needs, Anna was ultimately forced to resign from her job – at great financial cost to their family. Paid family and medical leave would have provided Anna’s family with more financial flexibility to ensure Gareth’s safe and healthy development.

When Karter was born, Jessica worked as a server and didn’t receive paid leave, sick time, or vacation time. Just two weeks after delivering her baby via c-section, she was forced to return to work, lifting heavy trays of food, working overnight shifts, and being on her feet for hours at a time. When Karter was 15 months old, he was diagnosed with a genetic disorder that affects his development. To ensure his strong and healthy development, Jessica often took unpaid leave so he could get the care he needed at therapy appointments. His parents want what’s best for him, but the cost of no paid leave to meet his medical needs puts a significant financial burden on their family.