The United States is the only rich, developed country that does not offer national paid family leave. What does this mean for new parents? Well, it means that new parents are not guaranteed job security or payments once they have a child. According to the Bureau of Statistics, about 77% of United States workers have no paid family leave, and in 2020, 1 in 4 women were going back to work after just two weeks of having a kid. Still recovering from childbirth, they were forced to choose between staying with their child longer or finding a way to pay the ever-present bills. Paid family leave can be one of the most relieving types of help for new parents, but is denied to so many Americans, as it is up to each employer to decide on their own family leave package for employees. It has also been a controversial issue for some time, as opinions are divided as to whether or not it is necessary. According to some, because having a family is a private decision, parents should not expect guaranteed family leave at their workplace. On the other hand, many argue that the lack of family leave in America is harmful to parents, as it forces new parents away from their children, and can decrease their mental health. In 2021, CNN reported that American President Joe Biden tried to push a policy that would guarantee Americans at least 12 weeks of paid family leave, then reduced his policy to 4 weeks in order to cut program costs. Even with this reduction, the policy has yet to be enacted.
Paid family leave can allow a parent to bond with their child and adapt to the new challenges that parenthood brings. It can also improve the relationship between co-parents. In a world where co-parenting is becoming increasingly frequent, a good relationship between co-parents can do wonders for a child’s life. A healthy relationship between co-parents can reduce the child’s stress and provide them with a sense of security. If they have the opportunity, co-parents can choose to each take turns being on leave, which has been proven to improve their understanding of each other’s day-to-day lives.
Project Humanities has hosted discussions pertaining to the challenges that co-parenting brings, and has been joined by, among others, Dr. Michelle Melton, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and Annapurna Ganesh, a Program Director for Early Childhood Education at Mesa Community College. Event participants learned more about how people navigate co-parenting, and if you would like to learn more about this topic you can check out this event video here. Co-parenting can be a hard stage for any set of parents, and family leave can help relieve the stress that both parents feel, and bring them closer together. It is uncommon in American families for both parents to take family leave, but the opportunity to do so can vastly improve the parent’s relationship with their children and co-parenting agreements. It can allow both parents to take the time to focus on their child and improve understanding between co-parents. However, without the steady source of income that paid family leave gives, most families are unable to have even one parent on leave, let alone two. Familial ties can be strengthened with communal paid family leave, which is one of the reasons that so many families and co-parents vouch for it.
Paid family leave comes with a string of benefits to both parents and their children. Science has shown that early attachment is a vital step for a child’s development, and being separated from their parents for hours a day at such a young age can take away from this important stage. Paid family leave can allow parents to focus on their family without stressing about finances or their careers. The mental health of parents can drastically increase when they are given paid family leave. Parents, especially those who are already underprivileged, can benefit tremendously from paid family leave, and it is time that the United States joined the many countries that already have this policy in place.
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