Under the current Family Medical Leave Act -FMLA- the federal government allows a new parent to take 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave for the birth or adoption of a child.
12 weeks is not nearly enough time for a parent to bond or simply spend time with their new child before they are required to go back to work. We think that 26 weeks (6 months) is a more reasonable amount of time for a parent to return to their job.
We also feel:
- You shouldn't have to leave your child in the care of possibly a stranger so early in life
- 6 months would allow more time and choices with feeding
- With 6 months rather than just 12 weeks a baby can establish a more regular sleeping pattern which will make return to work much easier
Wildwood Middle School 7th & 8th grade Journalism class, Wildwood, NJ