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Paid Leave

Time for parents to bond with and care for their babies.

The time right after a baby is born or adopted is a time of extraordinary growth, development, and connection for a family. Parents and their babies need dedicated time together to develop close, nurturing relationships that set the foundation for a child’s healthy development. They also need time to care for their child or other family members during serious illness. In the absence of a national paid leave policy, many families were left without means of financial support throughout the COVID-19 crisis. Some had to make difficult choices for their children’s care because they simply could not do without a paycheck and were unable to take the time off to meet those family needs.  

Paid leave policies could expand paid time off options for parents who work, giving them the time they need to bond with and care for their babies during those critical early months – without jeopardizing their ability to make ends meet. 

Take Action

Tell Congress to #ThinkBabiesAndAct and support paid leave!

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THE FACTS

8 in 10 voters support a comprehensive national paid family and medical leave policy that covers all people who work.

THE FACTS

Just 15 percent of all working people in the US have access to paid family leave through their employers.

THE FACTS

When parents can take care of their child's early medical needs, infant mortality and childhood illnesses are reduced, lowering private and public health costs.

THE FACTS

The lack of a national paid leave policy disproportionately impacts Black and Latinx families and babies. Only 23% of Latinx workers and 41% of Black workers report having access to paid family leave,

Legislation At-A-Glance

The Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act

Introduced in the 116th Congress and expected to be reintroduced in 2021, this would create a comprehensive national program that makes paid family and medical leave affordable for employers of all sizes, and available to all workers and their families. Across the country, working families would get the time they need to bond with their babies and care for family members with serious illness, without risking their economic security.

What it could mean for babies:

All families would have the time they need to develop strong, nurturing relationships with their babies, and care for them when they are ill, without jeopardizing their financial stability. Paid leave would set babies on a path for healthy development and a successful future.

Advocacy Tools & Resources

Paid Leave Advocacy Toolkit: Use these tools to urge your policymakers to create a national paid family and medical leave program that ensures all babies have the opportunity to thrive.

“Time with my Youngest Daughter” Video: Watch and share this video from the National Partnership for Women & Families, where La Guardia Cross, creator of the viral YouTube series New Father Chronicles, talks about the importance of paid leave for working parents and their babies.

State of Babies Yearbook: 2020: Use national and state-by-state data on the well-being of infants and toddlers to call on federal and state policymakers to improve outcomes for babies and families.