While many companies offer unpaid parental leave to employees after the birth of a child, few in the United States offer paid leave. This forces most lower- and middle-income families back to work with little time to get to know their baby and develop a strong bond. Fathers are even less likely to take time off to develop this important connection with their newborns because many families cannot afford to have both parents out of work for any extended period of time. The pressure to immediately return to work during this crucial time is to the detriment of the child’s and family’s health.
Why paid family leave is critical for child and family health and well-being
- Paternity leave → Early father engagement → Positive child outcomes
Paternity leave increases a father’s chances to bond with his newborn child during a critical time in the child’s development. (In the first year or two of life, 700 new synapses are forming every second in the child’s brain!) Research shows that when fathers are involved with their children early in life, they are more likely to stay involved, and long-term father engagement results in improved academic, emotional, behavioral and social outcomes for children.
- Paid family leave reduces the incidence of post-partum depression (PPD)
Studies have shown that longer parental leave is associated with a decrease in risk of PPD. This is key, because PPD can prevent parent-infant bonding and has negative effects on a child’s cognitive, social and emotional development. Fathers are more likely to suffer from post-partum depression when their partners are suffering with it as well. When parents can take time from work to focus on their new child and the family’s well-being, the decreased stress contributes to both mother-infant and father-infant bonding.
- Paid leave increases breastfeeding, early childhood checkups and immunizations
Breastfeeding, immunizations, and early childhood well-baby visits are vital for child health. When families do not receive paid leave, they often must return to work more quickly. This is especially true for low-income families. This leaves less time for establishing a breast-feeding relationship, less time for bonding, and less time to get needed medical and social services for families and infants.
More states are beginning to understand the importance of paid leave for families, and are working to change current policies. For over a decade in California, new moms and dads have received six weeks off at a little more than half their weekly pay. From a recent article on NPR.org:
“ ‘Since the family leave law went into effect more than a decade ago, it’s had a positive impact,’ says sociologist Ruth Milkman, a professor at City University of New York, who has studied the law and its history. There’s been a steady, significant increase in the number of new dads taking paternity leave to bond with their babies. And, since the law launched, the length of time new mothers breastfeed has doubled.”
Unfortunately, 55% of their pay simply isn’t enough for many families, and therefore many workers who are eligible for family leave in CA don’t take it because they still cannot afford it. In 2018, leave benefits in the state will be boosted to 60% of an employee’s salary, and 70% for low-wage workers. This will help more parents take advantage of the benefits of parental leave, but will still leave many unable to participate for financial reasons.
In TFP’s home state of Massachusetts, paid leave is moving forward in the state legislature. The state senate passed a bill in July 2016 that would require employers to offer employees up to 16 weeks of paid leave for family care. Bill S2477 is currently being reviewed by the state’s House Ways & Means Committee, and TFP’s Dr. Ray Levy has offered to join the discussion.
On a national level, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is one of several medical groups calling on Congress to pass new legislation which would enable eligible workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family care. The AAP’s President, Dr. Benard Dreyer, recently stated “Frankly, if I were to suggest it, I’d say six to nine months should be the minimum… When it comes to family leave, America’s an outlier among high-income countries. In most of Europe and Canada, there’s paid maternity leave of six to 12 months, and paid paternity leave.”
The United States is the only industrialized nation that does not offer paid leave. Only a handful of the 193 countries in the United Nations do not offer this benefit, the others being Papua New Guinea, Suriname, Lesotho, and a few small South Pacific island nations. Without paid family leave, most parents simply cannot afford to take time off to bond with their newborn infants and focus on family health. The Fatherhood Project supports paid leave for families as it lends itself to better health outcomes for children, fathers, and their families.
We want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on paid parental leave?