Lets dream even bigger….
The book, “Time Off with Baby: The Case for Paid Care Leave“, provides a thorough analysis of the benefits of providing mothers and fathers the right to paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a baby. It asks and answers the question:
“What do babies need during the first year of life, and what role does public policy have in promoting the likelihood they will get it?”
“Infants depend on their adult caregivers to meet their basic physical needs and to protect them from harm. Babies also rely on their caregivers for emotional warmth and the social and cognitive stimulation that promotes healthy brain development.”
“Although the responsibility for a baby’s care clearly rests primarily with parents, public policy has a role in ensuring that parents have real choices.”
Nearly 30 years ago, the authors wrote “current U.S. policy supports neither high- quality infant day care nor alternatives such as paid leaves for infant care.” Today, because of the number of employees not covered by the Family and Medical Leave Act, the absence of wage replacement, and the lack of quality standards for child care, that is still largely true.”
“Given the high cost of infant care and the difficulties in providing safe and healthy care, providing real alternatives, such as a partially paid leave for a portion of the first year of a baby’s life, looks like both a bargain and a wise investment.”
The book makes an excellent case for this important and critically needed change in public policy.
But what if we dreamed even bigger. What if we created integrated solutions, not just for the first year, but across our entire career-lifecycle? When we asked the members of our Pioneering Leaders group what makes them most proud around their integrated career paths, here’s what they had to say:
Father of two children, ages 16 and 20. “Our ability to keep on adjusting. Everything’s changed from season to season. We’ve created a lot of teamwork as we just keep on adjusting to the latest change.”
Father of two children, ages 16 and 19. “We’ve both been able to have careers, but we’ve also been able to build in a lot of stability in our children’s lives. They are both deeply connected to the community where they grew up.”
Father of two children, ages 6 and 8. “I ask people, ‘Who is behind the door, who is the person you can turn to when you are having one of those horrible days with your children.’ My wife is that person for me.”
Father of two children, ages 34 and 36, and grandfather of two children, ages 7 and 5. “I like that we’ve created a strong network of care. My daughter is going to be traveling for a week, so this week I’ll be doing extra grandpa duty. We’ve created strong relationships with our children.”
Yes, any step to improve public policy in this country will be useful.
But maybe we can also harness the energy of these and many more progressive leaders to help us dream even bigger and create a nation that truly promotes an integrated approach to work and the care of our families from birth through elder care.