1,000 Days Statement on Build Back Better
On behalf of 1,000 Days, I would like to express my deep disappointment at the news that paid family and medical leave has been left out of the Build Back Better package. President Biden called for a “once-in-a-generation investment in our families and our children,” and in many ways the package delivers on that promise. Historic investments in child care and the care infrastructure, children’s access to nutritious foods, health coverage, and the Child Tax Credit will be transformative for our nation’s families.
However, as it currently stands, millions of families will not have the opportunity to benefit from the promise of paid leave: the opportunity to care for themselves and their loved ones, to bond with a new child, to spend precious moments with a gravely ill family member, or to recover from their own serious illness. As the past 18 months have made all too clear, paid leave is a public health imperative. At 1,000 Days, we know that access to paid leave is crucial to recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening our economy, supporting workers, improving maternal and child health outcomes and reducing disparities, and building a better future for American families.
This must be the year we pass paid leave. We will continue to fight alongside our partners to ensure that all workers and all families in the United States have access to comprehensive, equitable paid family and medical leave.
Blythe Thomas
Initiative Director
1,000 Days, an initiative of FHI Solutions