Why we need paid parental leave in the U.S.

Why do many working parents in America stress so much about having a new baby? Because for them, having a baby means either losing their job or leaving their job without pay, as well as leaving their newborn with a stranger.

We are two registered nurses enrolled in a master’s program and will graduate in May as family nurse practitioners. We are also young mothers who had first-hand experience of unpaid maternity leave and struggled with balancing our need to provide for our families and our need to be there for our children.

Why do many working parents in America stress so much about having a new baby? Because for them, having a baby means either losing their job or leaving their job without pay, as well as leaving their newborn with a stranger.

To relieve this stress, we need a federal law providing new parents with 12 months of paid parental leave. Can we show our children that they are valued, loved, and safe? Shouldn’t our newborns be able to open their eyes after a nap to see their mother’s smile and love, and not a stranger’s face that may cause confusion and fear?

The United States is the only developed country that does not offer national paid parental leave. The only leave available under U.S. federal law is under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which offers up to 12 weeks of unpaid family leave.

We spend so much money fighting children’s mental and physical diseases, but we need to start preventing these conditions. Giving a mother the opportunity to stay home during the first year of a child’s mental and physical development can prevent the onset of many types of disorders. It will also encourage mothers to breastfeed, which provides nutritional value, enhances the immune system of an infant, and greatly decreases the risks of future obesity.

As mothers, we truly believe that had we been able to spend those first 12 months at home, our children could have avoided many of the earaches, colds, and fevers, as well as much of their separation anxiety and tears.

The primary arguments of those who oppose paid maternity leave are that the costs of such a program would be high. However, there are many ways of funding this type of program, such as increasing corporate tax rates, eliminating tax breaks for the wealthy, or reducing the world’s largest military budget.

Other countries, both developed and undeveloped, manage to find a way to fund paid parental leave for even longer than 12 months with much less resistance. It is hard to believe that America, being a developed first-world country and world leader, lacks such a basic and fundamental part of child development. This is absolutely not the way to build a better future for the generations to come.

The conservatives and budget hawks who oppose national paid maternity leave need to know that the benefits to the overall well-being of the parents and children clearly outweigh the costs of funding this vital program.

There must be a paradigm shift in the value of financial assistance and aid for new parents in America. The health benefits of paid parental leave programs are necessary for the proper function of emerging families. The establishment of a national paid parental leave program would result in a net positive outcome for the families and communities in dire need of aid, and a stronger foundation of support for those who may never expect to need it.

The ability of parents to stay home for their children, without concern for their career or finances, should not be a privilege, but a right!