Heather Visnesky: Pa. families need paid leave

As the community engagement manager for MomsWork, Powered by NCJW Pittsburgh, I have met hundreds of working mothers in all stages of motherhood: first-time mothers, moms of toddlers and school-aged children, and mothers of teens and young adults. One thing many of them have in common is the experience of needing to choose between work and family more times than they can remember.

I have heard so many stories from moms who are struggling with having to go back to work sooner than they or their babies are ready (or is recommended by their medical providers) because they need the paycheck, from moms who have a very ill child who will need extra care for an extended time, and from women who are sandwiched between caring for very young children and aging parents. These experiences are hardly unique, though the challenges they present can feel overwhelming and isolating to those experiencing them, especially when faced with the added burden of needing to make choices out of financial need as opposed to what’s best for the family. This is why universal paid leave is so important for Pennsylvanians.

The Family Care Act (HB 200/SB 506) would create a critical pro-family, statewide paid family and medical leave program in Pennsylvania for the first time in our commonwealth’s history. This program will put money back into the pockets of working families and allow working Pennsylvanians the freedom to bond with their baby following birth or take care of a seriously ill family member at a vulnerable time of need, while not having to sacrifice their household’s financial stability that they work so hard to maintain.

This legislation has wide bipartisan support in both the Pennsylvania House and Senate. In the House, Democratic Rep. Dan Miller and Republican Rep. Natalie Mihalek are leading the way for the other 69 co-sponsors working to pass this bill. In the Senate, prime sponsor Sen. Devlin Robinson, a Republican, has been a champion for passing universal paid leave. As of this writing, there are a total of 30 senators co-sponsoring the bill, demonstrating wide support for its passage.

The Family Care Act also is supported by an overwhelming majority of Pennsylvanians. A recent poll of more than 700 likely voters in Pennsylvania found that 81% support paid leave, including 67% of GOP voters.

In the 14 states with existing statewide paid leave programs, access to paid family and medical leave has proven to be good for families, good for business and good for the economic competitiveness of those states.

Impossible choices between work and family too often leave workers with no choice but to leave their jobs. Access to a paid leave program would mean workers aren’t forced to leave the labor force to care for their families or their own health, resulting in better financial stability for families and increased worker retention for businesses.

What’s more, a statewide paid leave program would help level the playing field for small businesses. Small businesses want to do right by their employees but often can’t afford to offer the benefits larger employers provide. Business owners in states with paid leave programs report that these programs have had a positive effect on their businesses. Our neighboring states of New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland all have passed paid leave. If we want to remain competitive and retain young families in Pennsylvania to staff and grow our businesses, we must do the same.

Moreover, the health and economic benefits of paid parental leave are well documented. According to The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , “the recognized benefits of paid parental leave include decreased infant and childhood mortality, decreased infant and birthing parent rehospitalization rates, decreased post-partum depression and intimate partner violence, improved infant attachment and child development, improved exercise ability and stress management for the birth parent, improved breastfeeding initiation and continuation, improved worker morale and retention and increased income over time.”

One of the moms in our network, Viviana Roman, shared with me, “As a first time mom, I had a really rough time adjusting to my new reality. There were many changes in my new life as a mom and being away from family made it harder. The worst part was not being able to find care for my baby upon my return to work just six weeks after giving birth. I was still adjusting to my baby’s feeding and sleep schedules and my body was still recovering from nine months of pregnancy and a 16-hour labor. The pressure to find full-time care for my baby affected my mental health and looking back, I wish I had more time to heal and really enjoy those first weeks with my newborn. Now more than ever paid family and medical leave needs to be a state law. Caregivers need to be protected and supported now more than ever.”

Working families and small businesses are the backbone of Pennsylvania’s economy and communities across the commonwealth. It’s time for Harrisburg to prove its support for Pennsylvania’s families and small business owners by passing a statewide paid family and medical leave program that is both pro-family and pro-business. It’s time to pass the Family Care Act.

Heather Visnesky is community engagement manager of MomsWork, Powered by NCJW Pittsburgh, and a member of the Family Care Act Coalition.