Expanded State Leave Policies Help Families Thrive, Say Advocates

(StatePoint) When a child is born or serious illness strikes, workers need time off, but for millions of Americans, it’s not that simple.

The United States is one of the only developed countries in the world that does not guarantee paid family and medical leave (PFML), and currently, just 13 states and Washington, D.C. do, covering just a quarter of private-sector workers and a third of people who work for state and local governments. While advocates say that it’s time for that to change, they are celebrating recent progress made in certain states.