KANSAS CITY – The Women’s Foundation today praised the bipartisan consensus on paid family leave shown during a U.S. Senate hearing on Wednesday. The issue is being championed by Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and advisor, and embraced by leaders on both sides of the aisle.
“The United States is the only industrialized country in the world without a national paid leave program, so it’s great to see this issue gaining momentum and bipartisan support in Congress,” said Wendy Doyle, President & CEO of the Women’s Foundation. “Our research shows that paid leave is just as important for men as it is for women – because no one should have to choose between caring for a child or loved-one and keeping their paycheck. Allowing people to take time off to bond with a child or care for a sick parent is something both parties can agree on and we’ll be working hard to keep this issue on the front burner with policymakers in the heartland as well.”
The Women’s Foundation supported the Missouri Earned Family and Medical Leave Act (House Bill 1974) last year, and has worked with policymakers in Missouri to expand paid parental leave to employees of nearly every state agency.