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I wholeheartedly support Paid Family Leave because, in addition to the financial burdens to families that others have described above, providing for the health of loved ones, from our youngest babies to our eldest parents, contributes to the health of our entire society. Our society is overly focused on work; we could learn a lot from Europe's standard work week, as well as their maternity and paternity leave practices, which shift priorities back to human relationships, health and happiness.

As a new mother of a beautiful, healthy five month old daughter, I believe staying home with her is establishing innumerable benefits for her physical, emotional and mental health that will last her whole lifetime. My husband and I are both living on federal student loans while completing advanced degrees; if I delayed completion and sought work now, I can't imagine making any more money than day care would cost. So, while we would not currently qualify for the benefits of this bill, I hope it would contribute to an environment that may find creative solutions for also supporting the family needs of the unemployed and those with significant student loan debt in the future.

posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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