Sage Advice
The Kirwan Commission on Innovation and Excellence in Education has made bold recommendations to improve Maryland’s public education system. Maryland Family Network knows that investing in young children offers a significant return on investment. Baltimore’s own Sage Policy Group agrees. Listen now to learn more.
Help For Dads Helps Moms
Researchers from Stanford University examined a Swedish law that allows fathers to take up to 30 days, as needed, in the year after a birth. Since the law was enacted, there has been a 26 percent decrease in anti-anxiety prescriptions and a 14 percent reduction in hospitalizations for new Swedish mothers. Meanwhile the United States is the only industrialized country with no paid leave required by law for either parent. It’s time for a change. The time for paid family leave is now. Listen now to learn more.
Resources
Sweden finds a simple way to improve new mothers' health. It involved fathers. (New York Times)
Time to Care (Maryland Family Network)
Time to Care (Maryland Family Network)
Paternity Leave & Child Development
The push for paternity leave continues to intensify. Research shows the benefits of paternity leave to both newborns and families. What are the implications of this, and how does it affect child development? Listen here to learn more.
Resources
No Child Care, No Workforce
Half of all U.S. families has reported difficulty finding child care. According to the Council for a Strong America, the U.S. national economy loses roughly $57 billion each year as a result of child care issues. Businesses depend on employees, and employees depend on child care. It’s in everyone’s best interest to make child care a better business. Listen here to learn more.
Resources
The Child Care Crisis is Keeping Women Out of the Workforce (Center for American Progress)
Time To Care For Children With Special Needs
Caring for children with disabilities and special needs takes time. It also takes patience, flexibility, and in many cases Paid Family Leave. With Paid Family Leave for working family members, these children can get the support they need while their parents have the time off needed to provide that care.
Resources
Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council (Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council)
Paid Family and Medical Leave (The Arc)
Paid Family and Medical Leave (The Arc)
Our Elders Need Time To Care
Our parents and grandparents have devoted much of their lives to caring for us. With more than 43 million unpaid family caregivers in the US, the time is now to implement the benefits of Paid Family Leave. It’s now our turn to care for them, and we owe them the best care possible.
Resources
Older Adults and Family Caregivers Need Paid Family and Medical Leave (National Partnership)
Our Military Needs Time To Care
Soldiers are trained to expect the unexpected. So when caregiving needs arise or change as a result of a deployment, families need to be ready. It’s time to be Gung Ho for Paid Family Leave.
Resources
Military Parental Leave Program -- Not Exactly as Promised (Moms Rising)
Veterans and Military Families Need Comprehensive Paid Leave Solutions (Center for American Progress)
Veterans and Military Families Need Comprehensive Paid Leave Solutions (Center for American Progress)
Your Workers Need Time To Care
What do Papua New Guinea, Swaziland, Lesotho, and the United States have in common? They are the only four countries which do not mandate paid time off for new parents.
Resources
Paid Family and Medical Leave: Good for Business (National Partnership for Women and Families)
Of Course US Birth Rates are Falling -- this is a Harsh Place to Have a Family (The Guardian)
Of Course US Birth Rates are Falling -- this is a Harsh Place to Have a Family (The Guardian)
Dads Need Time, Too
It takes a lot to be a good dad - especially time. Yet while some employers recognize the importance of providing leave for men, most do not. Maryland can make the crucial time off dads need to bond with their babies the new normal. It’s time for a change. Listen here to see how we can make this happen.
Time To Care
We all need time to care - for new babies, for aging parents, for loved ones with health needs, or for healing ourselves. Yet many Americans can’t take time to care because we lack paid family leave. The United States is the only industrialized nation without paid family leave. The time for paid family leave is now.