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Need Albany law for time off for newborn care

BY LINDA LISI JUERGENS | Linda Lisi Juergens is the Executive Director of National Association of Mothers' Centers (NAMC), based in Jericho.

May 8, 2008

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This year, 130,000 working women will give birth in New York State. The arrival of a newborn is a time of incredible joy, but for too many mothers it can also be a tremendous burden. Thousands of New York's new moms will be confronted with the difficult choice of spending precious time with their newest family member, or quickly returning to the jobs they depend on to pay their bills.

Every parent knows the importance of being able to care for a newborn, and every parent deserves the opportunity to do so.

With the state of today's economy, however, too many parents are finding they simply cannot afford to miss time from work.

The United States is the only advanced country in the world that does not offer some form of paid family leave to help new mothers adjust to their family's needs. Sadly, only 51 percent of Americans are offered paid leave through their work.

As we approach this Mother's Day, leaders in Albany need to help New York join California, Washington state and, most recently, New Jersey, by passing legislation creating a groundbreaking paid family leave program.

Numerous studies point to a paid family leave program's benefits. It increases the number of mothers who are able to spend time with their newborns as well as the length of time they can spend away from work - and time with mom is critical for a baby's healthy development.

Babies who spend quality time with mothers are more likely to receive immunizations and be breast fed, and they have lower rates of infant mortality. So the more mothers who are able to spend this precious time with their babies, the better.

Just as important, family leave lets mother and baby (and father, too) develop strong bonds, which are critical for early childhood emotional development. For adopting parents or those who have a child with special needs, time off to adjust is just as important.

Last year, the New York State Assembly passed a paid family leave supported by the Working Families Party and the New York State Paid Family Leave Coalition.

The innovative bill would have given 12 weeks of paid leave to millions of New Yorkers, at 50 percent of their salary, up to $170 per week. Paid for with a tiny, 45-cents-per-week payroll deduction, the bill would have provided new mothers help when they most needed it, without requiring businesses to bear any of the cost.

Unfortunately, Republicans in the State Senate never brought the bill to the floor for a vote.

This year, a similar bill providing New Yorkers with paid family leave will again come to a vote in the Assembly, and it is very likely to pass.

For it to become law, however, Senate Republicans need to see the benefits of the pioneering legislation and bring the paid family leave bill to a vote.

No one should have to risk a job or financial well-being to take care of a newborn, but today, thousands of families face that exact choice. Let's hope this year Albany gives New York's women a Mother's Day gift they will remember.