It's bad enough that we live in a country where working mothers have to worry about losing their jobs if they take time off to tend to a sick or injured child.

Now, children are worrying about whether they should confide feeling ill with their parents because some have seen their mothers get fired for staying home to care for them.

Author Ellen Bravo writes on The Nation's website about the impact this phenomenon is having on the children of working mothers.

"After my mother was fired," said one child interviewed, "I always tried to go to school no matter how I felt. I didn't want her to be fired again."

Do we really need a better reason to get our lawmakers to support the Health Families Act that would provide a minimum number of paid sick days for employees?

Check out her article at http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070625/bravo