FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact
Siobhan Mueller | 703-362-0970 | smueller@zerotothree.org
Washington, DC – The country’s leading early childhood development nonprofit, ZERO TO THREE, endorsed bills introduced in Congress today to increase support for babies in working families. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) reintroduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave (FAMILY) Act, providing paid family and medical leave to cover the wide range of babies’ and families’ needs, including the opportunity to bond after birth or adoption and care during serious illness. Rep. DeLauro and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) also reintroduced the Healthy Families Act, which would provide working people with the ability to earn up to seven paid sick days a year, ensuring that all parents can care for sick children, regardless of where they work, and helping parents maintain their own health.
ZERO TO THREE’s Chief Policy Officer, Miriam Calderón, said;
“It should be a given that parents can take time to nurture, bond with, and care for their children, but current law puts caregiving decisions in the hands of employers instead of parents. We applaud the leadership of Congresswoman DeLauro, Senator Gillibrand, and Senator Sanders in championing reforms that would guarantee this basic protection to all working families, regardless of their zip code or employer. Congress must pass the FAMILY Act and Healthy Families Act without delay.”
