With a growing sense that the US is being left behind by a lack of family-friendly policies, and as more evidence shows that there are advantages to families when such programs are in place, there’s some movement at the federal and local levels, but states are driving change

The U.S. can’t afford outdated policies that reduce the growth of the economy; working mothers can no longer accept a situation that creates stress and leads to lost income.

We are one of the few countries in the world where maternal mortality rates are rising, rather than falling, and black mothers die at three times the rate of white mothers. We are the only high-income country without any provision for paid family and medical leave.

“We want to be the voice for babies that aren’t able to speak for themselves,” [Jessica] Tolbert said. Like many of the parents at the rally, Tolbert mentioned paid family leave, health care, and affordable childcare as some of the major reasons they had come to lobby members of Congress.

As Americans, we like to think every opportunity should be available to everyone, no matter where you live or who you are. Unfortunately, that’s not true when it comes to the supports our country provides for babies.

[National Alliance for Caregiving CEO Grace] Whiting outlined some public sector solutions, which include providing benefits to caregivers, expanding services to caregivers and allowing for paid family leave. Not only can the process of caregiving be an emotional burden, it also places a great financial strain on many.

After delivery, parents are torn between providing the best care for their child versus earning money to keep a roof over their head and food on the table. Mothers push through postpartum pain and ignore doctors’ recommendations by returning to work too early.

[D]elaying Social Security translates into a real financial loss; the authors [of the Urban Institute analysis] reckon that parents who took a single 12-week leave would lose about 3% of their future retirement benefits, and those who took four leaves would lose 10%.

The numbers are astounding: 37 million people get no sick days. And that applies to 6 in 10 lower-income workers. Only 14% of people have access to paid family leave at work. A third of working mothers don’t have access to any paid leave.

Few in the audience had blue-collar jobs like [Carolyn] Davis’s; she spends her workdays tracking inventory and stocking shelves. Still, as a shareholder, Davis, who goes by Cat, had a right to speak. She’s also a mother of two, and she had come to deliver a petition—signed by more than 100,000 associates—to urge Walmart to give workers like her the same family-leave benefits that executives get.

[W]e need to support parents. Parents need paid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act so that they can care for their children; currently the law provides unpaid leave only for employees of companies with 50 or more employees. Additionally, some families need subsidies for child care so that they can thrive in those first years that are often the hardest and most expensive.

The U.S. used to be a world leader in women working. Not anymore.

“I think back to when I was younger when we were sick, how my parents didn’t get to take time off to take care of us,” [Linfield College] sophomore Raul Sanchez said.

[Sen. Heidi] Heitkamp also said the proposed Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act, or FAMILY Act, would allow small businesses to offer the same family leave benefits now offered by large businesses. This would help make working for small businesses more attractive.

Children spending more quality time with their fathers has a cascade of social benefits, according to the Swedish government, but it also allows women to pursue their careers and become more active members of the workforce.

Being openly dedicated to the betterment of employees and their families remains a gold standard for Catholic organizations that align themselves with the Catholic mission. Some Catholic companies have begun to go beyond FMLA regulations to further support employees and their families.

The bill would also make caregivers of a sibling or grandchild eligible. It would increase the amount that people who [earn] less than double the minimum wage can receive when claiming temporary caregiver insurance.

Jersey City municipal workers will be eligible for paid parental leave, thanks to an executive order signed by Mayor Steve Fulop.

One positive aspect of so many millennials taking on caregiving responsibilities, experts say, is that it may force lawmakers and companies to start paying attention.

If Utah offered paid family leave, [Jasmine] Parker says she’d have a buffer — time to deal with crises in her own immediate family, time for a vacation, time to just breathe. “It would be amazing,” she says. “I think I’m probably like a lot of people. Sometimes, it feels pretty overwhelming.”