Presidential Candidates: Moms and Newborns Need Paid Family Leave!
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GoogleOn International Women's Day Saturday, I started thinking about moms around the world and then moms in our own United States of America. As the mother of four children, I've spent a lot of time over the years breastfeeding babies, and so I wondered: Why do moms in the U.S. still lack a guarantee of some paid maternity leave so they have time to bond with their bundles-of-joy? Why is the U.S. one of only four countries, of 170 surveyed, without paid leave for mothers following childbirth? (The other three are Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, and Lesotho).
Though it's a bit of a blur now, one thing I remember clearly is how LONG it takes to breastfeed, especially in an infant's first weeks of life. To be sure, I have exceedingly fond memories of the many hours I spent gazing at my babies (babies, yes! twins meant nursing two at once). But how many hours? It takes eight to ten hours per day to breastfeed a newborn. This important fact alone creates a need for a mother to take a break from work. Doctors, lactation experts, and even infant formula companies acknowledge that "breast is best." But how can a mother be successful in those early make-or-break days if she's working long hours, feeling pressured to get back to work quickly, or wondering how to make ends meet if she doesn't return fast because she has no paid time off?
According to a new study released just days ago by the U.S. Census Bureau, 49 percent of American mothers cobble together some sort of paid leave following childbirth by using a combination of sick days, vacation days, disability leave, and employer-provided maternity leave. The good news is that more employers are offering paid maternity leave as a job benefit. But the bad news is that a full 51 percent of new mothers lacked paid leave—so some took unpaid leave, some quit, and some even lost their jobs.
Not surprisingly, the college-educated mothers were most likely to have some paid leave, followed by high school graduates. Those without a high school diploma were least likely to have any paid leave. These results mirror other reports on workplace policies: Lower income workers are more likely to need workplace flexibility and less likely to have it because their jobs have the most rigid requirements. New mothers may qualify for unpaid leave under the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) but most cannot afford to take it.
Isn't it time to fix this? At MomsRising.org we think so, so this week our members are sending email to the leading Presidential candidates urging them, upon taking office, to make it a priority to pass national paid family leave. Click here to send one yourself. Let's get the U.S. out of the bottom of the pile of countries in support for mothers--tell them the newborns sent you.
Why put the burden on the
Why put the burden on the employer or stockholders? Did they marry you?
What happened to staying at home, living in a smaller house or owning one car not two?
If you want time with your child, save up to take an unpaid leave. If you cannot afford a child on your own perhaps you might have to delay the decision. Perhaps if you advocated that novel idea we'd see fewer parents in poverty and fewer latch-key kids.
Where is all this entitlement coming from? You are asking for corporate welfare. I'm sorry, I can't endorse that.
You could fix part of the problem by advocating the fact that having a child is a major decision and therefore like a house, a career, and a marriage, should be planned.
Why not the US?
Food for thought: Why can most other civilized countries, especially european ones, offer paid maternity and paternity leave, while the US (the wealthies country in the world) does not? My opinion: because these countries care more about their babies and their future than about corporate wealth. One day this will come haunt us.
Paid Family Leave in Washington State
I wrote to my Representatives regarding the Paid Family Leave program. One of my Reps, one Ed Orcutt, wrote me a letter defending his position NOT to support the Paid Family Leave Program.
His reasons were as follows:
*"The funding source was stripped out of the bill".
*"New taxes might be levied on employers to provide this new entitlement".
*It would just be another "costly government-run program".
*"Workers need to accept responsibility for their own financial well-being and not put on the employer the responsibility of funding those who are not financially stable."
Ed Orcutt needs to be targeted for removal at the earliest possible opportunity, whenever his term is up. We need to get family-friendly Representatives in our districts in Washington State.
Thanks...
Lisa
Unbelievable!
Lisa:
This position by Mr. Orcutt is unacceptable, almost unbelivable. Having been a single parent I am well aware of how hard it is to raise children.
I am running to replace him and your help would be highly beneficial.
Several opportunities are available to make this happen.
First, write one or more letters to the editors of the local papers (The Longview Daily News, The Reflector, The Columbian, and The Camas-Washougal Post-Record). Explain his actions and quote him as you did here.
Second, help me in my efforts to give the people of the 18th District a real voice. We are always in need of volunteers to wave signs, host a yard-sign, march in parades, and of course, contribute funds so I can get the message out to voters.
Best regards to everyone,
Jonathan Fant
Democratic Candidate,
State House of Representatives, 18th LD, Position 2
(360) 901-8330
Thinking of having kids?
I am a full-time working mom of two wonderful! kids, my youngest is 10 months old the other is 4. We have no family interested to help, and the ones who are near are old, like 84 & 90 and involved with their own lives.
We used to have help with childcare, but had to pay for it ourselves, and in a large city where we live childcare goes for $10-$15/hour usually if you want to keep someone. While I don't deny anyone this kind of money to take care of my children, this is most of my hourly wage, so we are left now with doing "pass the kid" between my husband and I. Also, if you are reading this, thinking you want to have kids, consider not only the cost of having childcare "farmed out" but also the additional 40-50 hours per week you will add to your schedule to have kids if you work outside the home. If you aren't doing the childcare or if you are some things to consider?:
1. What is most important now that you want to have kids?
2. What impact are you/will you have on them everyday?
3. You can't do everything.Trying to keep up appearances with the Jones' is not what it's about. Your kids will suffer.
4. You are their first teacher, so now what do you want to teach?
Finally, happy smilings from onlookers at your belly aren't telling you what your in for in terms of the hard work you will have to do to support your child emotionally, socially & financially. If lawmakers & businesses don't give time to support for people to support their families, and there aren't family friendly policies, out of this flows the breakdown of families and society. As a librarian who sees kids everyday afterschool FOR HOURS, I am seeing the products of THE FUTURE (our kids) which no one seems to give a damn about because they aren't "earning/contributing" to society and they are dumped at the library for hours afterschool daily. This is happening across the country at libraries nationwide, I know this from my listservs, like PUBYAC. Old people, kids, and moms are treated as the throwaways in our society. Kids are at our nations libraries, ( and I work in a weathier community) as the new place for latchkeys, left to their own devices, even eating their dinner without a family. People wonder why so many kids are on anti-anxiety drugs. I say, take a look around you. If you had little network of support of people helping you make good decisions, were programmed every hour of the day, & were out of the house 12-15 hours a day, seeing your "parents" for an hour or maybe a little more, maybe you'd be on a little anxious too. This is not how we were evolved to be, left to our own devices, because the almighty dollar matters more than people.
If we are one of the wealthiest communities in the world why is this happening? And, why are our kids less important than your morning Starbucks or whatever?
thinking of having kids
These lines in your writing really hit me hard!
"Old people, kids, and moms are treated as the throwaways in our society. Kids are at our nations libraries, ( and I work in a weathier community) as the new place for latchkeys, left to their own devices, even eating their dinner without a family. People wonder why so many kids are on anti-anxiety drugs. I say, take a look around you. If you had little network of support of people helping you make good decisions, were programmed every hour of the day, & were out of the house 12-15 hours a day, seeing your "parents" for an hour or maybe a little more, maybe you'd be on a little anxious too. This is not how we were evolved to be, left to our own devices, because the almighty dollar matters more than people."
I'm a photographer working on a book that attempts to explore these very things, shedding light on the problems by giving voice to mothers to speak unabashedly about their concerns. I would LOVE to talk with you further about this. I'm not sure who wrote this so I'd really love it if you would contact me so I can share more about my project. You have something very important to share here!! People NEED to think about things in this way!
thank you-
best,
Ali
photographer project
re: children on their own
This and every other problem of parenting is the lack of willingness on the part of the father of each and every child in this country to demand parental time to be with their children. Children are not Mothers responsibility. Spend your time on this project finding out why fathers are so willing to abandon their own children.
Thank you
Thank you for your post. I'm currently a mother of a 6 month old and am trying to breastfeed in addition to working full time. It was NOT EASY the first few weeks of birth knowing that I was not receiving paid maternity leave and going back to the workforce so soon. This issue is so important for mothers and their babies. I truly hope that the candidate who becomes president make this issue a real priority.
What a great post! It's
What a great post! It's time for the United States to do more for working families. We shouldn't be at the bottom of the pile of nations. Thank you for your advocacy.
Maternity leave / Paternity leave
With all the negative news, how about a breath of fresh air? My daughter, Gina, and her husband Pat, are expecting their first in about 6 weeks. I was talking with Gina today, asking about Pat taking time off when the baby comes.
HE GETS PATERNITY LEAVE!!! HIP HIP HOORAY!!! He gets 6 weeks paid leave! Is that the greatest news? Gina has not found a job yet, so it is a moot point for her (she graduated from college in December 2007, and is looking). BUT HE GETS PATERNITY LEAVE.
Pat is a police officer for the Virginia Commonwealth University Police Department. Since it is a public university, he is a state employee. The department is very small, about 30 people, so he is an essential employee. So that blows the theory that only 'big' organizations have the "man" power to allow either Maternity and/or Paternity leave.
I agree every parent should get (fully) paid leave when a baby is born. Virginia is on the right track. Let's get the private sector to follow.
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