RSVP: Family Playdate & Action for Paid Family Leave!
January 19, 2016
Roses are red. Violets are blue. Paid family leave is needed. And so are you!
Love for paid leave is in the air! Can you feel it? Washington, DC could be the next place to pass paid family and medical leave. Sixteen weeks of paid leave, to boot. In fact, we're closer than ever to the finish line, but we need you and your family to help us make it happen!
We'll be making paid leave valentines for the DC Council and Mayor Bowser so they know just how important paid time off to care for a newborn or an ailing parent is for us. Face painting, photo booth fun, healthy snacks, games, and music will keep your kiddos entertained and engaged while you meet other parents and learn more about the DC paid leave campaign!
WHAT: Paid Family Leave Playdate!
WHEN: Sunday, February 7th, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
WHERE: Petworth Neighborhood Library, 4200 Kansas Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20011
Right now, one in four working mothers must return to work just TWO WEEKS after giving birth because they don't have access to paid family & medical leave. [1] Other new moms are forced to pull a "Mom MacGyver" by cobbling together a few weeks of vacation and a few earned sick days (if they're lucky enough to have them) to stay home to recover from childbirth and/or welcome a new child into their lives. This is unacceptable and simply devastating for working families and for our economy.
The good news is that we can do something about it and there's a legislative solution before the DC Council!
The DC Universal Paid Leave Act is a strong bill and creates a strong paid family and medical leave insurance program by:
- Providing for both personal and family caregiving paid leave, with inclusive definitions of family that reflect the broad range of DC families.
- Covering all residents and workers in the District for 16 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Yes, that includes virtually all you Virginia and Maryland folks who work in DC!
- Best of all, this bill will boost businesses, the economy, and family economic security in the DC/MD/VA-area! [2]
Pin-striped corporate lobbyists are doing all they can to water down the bill, so it's up to us to remind the DC Council what this issue is really about – our families, our economic security, and our health. And what better way to do that than with handmade valentines from kids and families?
Kids and families are powerful messengers, and our Mayor and Council need to know that their constituents – even the youngest ones – support paid leave for DC! Come meet up for the fun and snacks, and stay for the positive impact you'll have on the campaign for DC paid leave!
See you there!
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