Washington, D.C. — Today, the Center for American Progress released an article addressing the need for paid leave policies to be inclusive of “chosen family.”
Chosen families are loved ones that people consider family but to whom they may not have a legal or biological relationship. The United States’ lack of any permanent, national paid leave policy makes it the sole outlier among industrialized countries and puts workers’ jobs, economic security, and health at risk—as well as the growth of the nation’s economy overall. This policy gap deeply affects LGBTQI+ individuals, who often have less access to care from traditional family structures, in particular ways.
The article states that policymakers at the state and federal levels should act to pass paid family and medical leave and paid sick time laws that ensure the ability to care for all those whom Americans consider family—including chosen family—while working to expand existing laws to meet the same needs.
“Policymakers must adopt paid leave policies that are inclusive of chosen family and reflect the diverse caregiving needs of people across the country,” said Caroline Medina, director of LGBTQI+ Policy at CAP. “Doing so is essential to better support the economic well-being and health of LGBTQI+ workers, families, and millions of others who rely on these relationships for caregiving support.”
“Without paid leave, far too many people are forced to choose between being there for the people they love and the job that pays their bills,” said Molly Weston Williamson, senior fellow for the Women’s Initiative at CAP. “We need paid leave for all, including paid leave for all families, however they are built.”
Read the article: “Paid Leave Policies Must Include Chosen Family” by Caroline Medina and Molly Weston Williamson
For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact Madia Coleman at [email protected].