America is one of the only countries that do not have mandatory maternity and paternity leave. Having both parents be able to enjoy their growing family and have support in the earliest stages is a huge factor in creating good productive people. Families should not have to sacrifice the early development of their children to bring food on the table. Many studies have shown that having appropriate paid maternity/paternity leave makes a positive impact for the company as well. Also, studies have shown that when women go back to work after having a baby, because most women do not get 6 weeks paid leave, the rate of breastfeeding mothers drop dramatically compared to when they are home with their babies.
Along with the paid leave, I strongly believe that doulas (birth/postpartum) should be covered by insurance. Birth doulas have a huge positive impact in the birthing community, decreasing C-section rates by advocating for their patients. They also relieve the hospital staff by providing physical/emotional/mental support which the short staffing issue we have in the medical field cannot handle with their case loads. Postpartum doulas are amazing at helping prevent postpartum depression, as well as educating parents on the dos and don’ts and instruct them to go to their providers when something isn’t right.
It takes a village to raise children, there is none of that in the U.S. We have the highest maternal morbidity rates and I feel like the support of doulas would help reduce this rate as well as relieve healthcare staff and parents.
ETA: Employees that do not utilize paternal leave should receive an equivalent bonus instead.
I never said free. If you invest into a company they should invest in you period. Look at the other countries that get paid maternity/paternity leave for 18 months. I know some banks who give a full paid maternity/paternity leave for 4 months in the US. There is little to no support period for maternity care and paternity care. Establishing more support would help the dwindling birth rate, something politicians are concerned about. And make employees give more to their employers.
Holding more accountability with insurance. The current private insurance is a scam. Medicaid in some states WILL cover doulas so it wouldn’t increase much if private insurance also covered doulas as well. Doulas are helpfully for not only physical but mental and emotionally health as well. So it could be billed in different ways with insurance.
Most people that choose not to have kids is because there is little to no support for them. Money is a huge factor as well. I know plenty of people who would have kids if they had more support (not just financially) to have them. Parents don’t have any type of support postpartum, mentally/emotionally. Childcare costs easily $3,000 a month, so having that support and care would definitely make couples feel more comfortable with having children.
I completely disagree. Mothers should be able to take time off for recovery, but that’s it. Fathers should not get FMLA; they can take their earned PTO like any other employee. Having a baby does not make you special in the workplace. If anything, it puts additional burdens on your fellow employees bc they have to pick up the slack.
Fair is fair. If you want a job, you should contribute like everyone else and not get anything that isn’t enjoyed by colleagues that don’t have children.
Dads deserve time to bond with their children too, not just moms. It’s important for father figures to be there not only for the mom but baby as well. What about 2 dads that adopt, your saying they don’t deserve to spend time as family just because they are men? Men go through postpartum as well. Also, having extra support for mom helps tremendously.
Wells Fargo, Bank of America, etc. give ALL of their employees 4 months off paid paternal leave. The employees also have an option to take more time off without pay which I think is great. They aren’t hurting when their employees take that time off. It can be done and in a fair way. Paternal leave isn’t just for mom to recover, it is for bonding as well which both parents should be able to do. Do you think parents that adopt shouldn’t get any leave because they didn’t give birth? It fosters a healthy child as well as helps promote breastfeeding.
Listen, I am on Medicare. I pay $170 or something a month out of my measles SS check. Illegals are getting everything for free and more money per month than me, and I worked hard all my life and paid into the system. A company should not be forced to do anything. Health Insurance is a scam, they are a third-party. If we got to keep more of our tax dollars, like all of it, and didn’t have to pay outrageous taxes to own property, we would all be richer. The government steals our money then blames the private sector because they won’t give maternity leave for 18 months. Are you kidding me?
How about mom stays home and dad works, because if it wasn’t for all the taxes we pay to the government, we would all be wealthier and moms could stay home and nurture their own children, instead of sending them in state run day cares called schools. No. Let’s go back to the 50s.
People can’t afford children because of the system and the Federal Reserve stealing our money. When Trump wins, this is all going to end. Taxes are unconstitutional. Everything is more expensive because that was their intention when the income tax was illegally passed in the dark of night on Christmas Eve when not enough of the congressmen were there. It’s a scam. Forcing a company to give all that time off paid is just another theft because they will pass that cost to the consumer. Nothing is free. But if we keep our own money, keep the government out of our lives, we would all be better off.