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Supportive work policies are essential in ensuring the economic security of families. Paid leave – which allows parents to provide and care for their family in times of need - is an example of good public policy since it provides income replacement to workers on leave for family caregiving, bonding with a new child or personal leave taken to recover from a serious health condition without the possible threat of losing their jobs. In honor of Father’s Day this weekend, it is important for policymakers to acknowledge the benefits fathers can have in the development of their child. 

Currently, the Federal Family and Medical Leave Act provides eligible employees – including dads –  up to 12 work weeks of unpaid leave a year and entitles employees to return to their same or equivalent job at the end of their leave. However, including a paid aspect to this legislation can alleviate the financial burden of taking leave, since unpaid leave is concentrated among low-wage jobs. As a result of this, many people on the lower end of the financial spectrum are at higher risks of lost wages and jobs.

An issue brief by the Center for Law and Social Policy highlights the disparate access to paid leave.

• 64 percent of white workers have paid sick days, while 62 percent of black workers, and only 47 percent of Latino workers have access.
• Half of all white workers have paid parental leave, while 43 percent of black workers and just 25 percent of Latino workers have access.

These statistics strongly demonstrate the need for addressing issues with an equity lens, since the research highlights the racial gaps in access.

Without paid leave, negative consequences can also impact children, since the first few months of a baby’s life is the most crucial for healthy development. According to Zero To Three, the human brain is far more impressionable in early life than in maturity. For caregivers, this time period is critical for bonding and relationship building. Parents without access to paid leave have limited time to spend with their newborn before having to return to work, and the research can imply that disparities in access to paid leave can result in disparities in development. This can mean that children with low-income parents face even greater obstacles to escaping poverty beginning at birth.  

Families are often forced to make an impossible decision between choosing work and caring for their loved ones. And they shouldn’t have to. Policies that address this problem can help to improve the lives of millions of working families and children, and can help to contribute to more equitable outcomes in low-income and minority households.

For more information on promoting financial success through supportive work/family policies, please visit our section on PolicyforResults or read our corresponding report on Results-Based Public Policy Strategies for Reducing Child Poverty.