Opinion: Paid leave for Pennsylvanians is an opportunity to put politics aside

As the new legislative session begins in Harrisburg, working families are looking to their elected officials to step up, work together and find solutions to create better opportunities for Pennsylvanians. Voters elected us. Now it’s time to put party politics aside and come together to get things done.

This session offers us a tremendous opportunity to do just that. We can work together to ensure that all Pennsylvania families can have a healthy and financially stable start for their children by passing the bipartisan Family Care Act, which would establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program for all workers.

Seventy-two percent of Pennsylvania households have two parents actively working. Without paid leave, Pennsylvania’s working parents often have to make impossible choices between their own health, raising their children and paying the bills. These forced decisions are hurting Pennsylvania’s families. With nearly a quarter of new mothers reporting having to return to work within 10 days after giving birth, the lack of access to paid leave has prevented Pennsylvania’s babies from the essential bonding they need to thrive. 

As moms ourselves, we know going back to work 10 days after giving birth is both potentially dangerous and an outright ridiculous decision to put on mothers as they weigh what’s best for their child, their own health and their family’s financial stability. Any lawmaker opposing a statewide paid leave program in Pennsylvania cannot say they are for Pennsylvania’s families and investing in what’s best for our commonwealth’s children.

Experts agree implementing a universal paid family and medical leave program is one of the key strategies for combating the maternal mortality crisis and improving birth outcomes. Access to paid leave can reduce the likelihood of hospital readmission after giving birth by about 50%. This is critical as the majority of maternal deaths occur after a baby is born. Perinatal depression is the leading complication of childbirth and more broadly, maternal mental health conditions are the leading cause of pregnancy-associated death in Pennsylvania. Access to paid family and medical leave can reduce postpartum psychological distress by nearly 28%. Healthy births, time to recover and to bond as a new family all make Pennsylvania’s families stronger. 

Nearly 150 countries worldwide have paid family leave, yet the United States still lacks a basic benefit that many less wealthy countries offer. Instead, states have been left to figure it out, and an increasing number have done so over the past 20 years. 

New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland have already passed paid leave laws. Pennsylvania is increasingly in danger of being a state in the region that is less favorable for raising a family. With younger working families looking to move to states with established programs that benefit families, such as paid leave, Pennsylvania’s employers, especially small businesses, are getting left behind in what is an increasingly competitive economic environment. This is especially true for keeping women in the workforce, since they more often put their careers on hold when parents make tough decisions to balance the rising costs of raising a family, including childcare.

At a time when Pennsylvania’s families are increasingly concerned about their children’s future, access to paid leave would play a critical role in giving new parents a better opportunity to provide a more stable home for their babies from the start. We, along with our other legislative partners from both sides of the aisle, will fight hard to pass the Family Care Act to ensure every parent in Pennsylvania has the freedom to put the health of their children and themselves first.