More US parents than ever have paid leave this Mother's Day — but most still don't

More working U.S. parents than ever are celebrating their first Mother's Day with hard-fought access to paid time off to care for newborns. But the majority still must forego pay to care for new babies or other loved ones, even as efforts to expand paid parental and family leave gain traction.

For families without paid leave, babies"are going to day care when they are two weeks old. They do not even have immunizations. They're not on regular feeding patterns. Moms are giving up breastfeeding far sooner than they would like to," Elizabeth Gedmark, vice president at nonprofit advocacy organization A Better Balance, said during a recent virtual conference to advocate for federal paid family leave organized by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

A householder, of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, could hardly drive herself to work because of agonizing pain in her leg, and it quickly became apparent that her employer wouldn't allow her to take enough time off for her medical needs. Pennsylvania's House and Senate are considering legislation that would provide up to 20 weeks of paid family leave through a payroll tax. The proposed measure has bipartisan sponsorship but some Republicans have vocally opposed it because of the cost to taxpayers.

Colorado's benefits kicked in on Jan. 1, four years after the state's paid family and medical leave program passed by ballot measure following a failed effort to move a bill through the legislature. The law gives most Colorado workers the right to take up to 12 week of paid leave to bond with a new baby and other family needs.

Women's participation in the U.S. labor force has reached historic highs but changes such as paid parental leave often come after long-fought campaigns by mothers.

Paid Leave Parental Leave

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28 Mother's Day Card Ideas - Easy DIY Mother's Day CardsShelby Deering is a freelance lifestyle writer living in Madison, Wisconsin. She specializes in writing about home design and decor, wellness and mental health, and other lifestyle topics, contributing to national publications like Good Housekeeping, AARP The Magazine, USA Today, and more.
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