An Outline for National Paid Leave
Citing the opportunity for bipartisan consensus, a new report from the Urban Institute calls for a national policy on paid family leave and outlines positive state-level models for such a policy. Paid Family Leave in the United States: Time for a New National Policy argues that the current “patchwork” of public and private family leave policies do not adequately support working parents, but that programs in California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island represent promising models for a national policy. When implemented properly, paid family leave can have positive effects on the health of mothers and children, especially in low-income families, and can improve worker retention, according to the report.