Op Ed: Laurie Moody - American Families Need Access to Paid Family Leave
Benjamin Franklin gave us many great words of wisdom. One of his best lines is that we should “do well by doing good.” While this ideal may have worked in the politics and government of early American history in the 1700’s, we don’t see much of that sentiment in today’s public policy. People of all political stripes (right, middle, left and those not involved at all) are tired of the fighting and looking to support policies that exemplify the words of Mr. Franklin.
We have one of those policies today and it’s known as Paid Family Leave. Paid Family Leave takes many forms, but it is most often seen as parental leave following the birth or adoption of a child, and family caregiving leave to care for a loved one. On either end of the continuum of life, family members are often needed to step in and care for the needs of their vulnerable family members.
The challenge is that most workers do not work for a government agency or a large corporation and therefore do not have access to paid family leave. In fact, only 19% of Americans currently have access to Paid Family Leave after the birth or adoption of a child. Due to the lack of access, a quarter of all mothers go back work within 10-14 days after having a child. And that is a problem as studies have shown that children who do not have the early bonding with parents have negative physical and mental health outcomes.
Access to Paid Family Leave would allow new families time together as a family, regardless of income, so that every child can develop strong bonds with their parents. A study published in Public Health Reports showed that having ten weeks of Paid Family Leave was associated with a 10% lower neonatal and infant mortality rate. And, having at least one parent at home during those early weeks means that babies are more likely to have the regular doctors’ visits so crucial to their healthy development as an infant.
So, what is the solution? Can we come together to find a solution that doesn’t increase mandates on businesses, is fiscally responsible, and works for both workers and small businesses? Is there a way to do this that isn’t a handout and that doesn’t increase the deficit?
Both sides of the partisan divide are now working on solutions that could pass with bipartisan support. In the last Congress, GOP Representatives Ann Wagner and Dan Crenshaw introduced The New Parents Act. This bill would allow parents to withdraw Social Security benefits to stay home after the birth or adoption of a child. They would then pay the cost back by simply retiring a few months later than they otherwise would have. Other proposals allow new parents to receive child tax credits in a lump sum following the birth or adoption of a child (the advanced would then be paid back in future years in the form of reduced child tax credit deductions). There are ways to accomplish access to Paid Family Leave using free market principles.
Republican leaders Senator Marco Rubio (FL) and Ivanka Trump have worked on this issue for several years. And, they are supported on this issue by a broad cross-section of Americans (including 65% of conservatives and 68% of moderates). Maybe Benjamin Franklin was right that we could “do well by doing good?” I ask that Senator Burr & Senator Tillis work with their colleagues in the United States Senate to make Paid Family Leave a reality for American workers.
Laurie Moody lives with her family in Morganton, NC. She served on the staffs of both Congressman Patrick McHenry (NC-10) and former Congressman Mark Meadows (NC-11).
