Mothers of Hope Supports 

Paid Leave For All

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We know families and the nation are strongest when we have time to heal from illness or injury, to welcome a new child, to help a loved one recover or to ease their passing. We believe that everyone should be able to take time to care for themselves or a loved one without risking their job or paycheck. Being there for family is what matters—no exceptions. 

The COVID crisis has magnified just how vital paid leave is, and how unprepared we were when the pandemic hit. Paid leave has been proven to be an effective policy to reduce the spread of the virus. Paid leave for all workers is critical as we re-open, and would help get the nation working again while supporting public health. While Congress passed emergency paid leave for many people, it was on a temporary and limited basis, leaving out as many as 106 million workers, many of them essential and on the front lines risking their lives and further exposure, disproportionately people of color, women, and low-wage workers.

Right now the United States is one of the only countries in the world that doesn’t guarantee paid leave and our current laws aren’t keeping up with the needs of our workers, families, or our businesses. This is a workers’ rights issue, an economic justice issue, a racial justice issue, and a gender equity issue. 

In the very short term, we must expand emergency legislation to cover everyone and to provide paid leave for a longer period of time than the original law provides. And then we must pass a permanent national paid leave policy, so we’re never caught unprepared again, whether the crisis is national or personal.