Family Leave Insurance would benefit a lot of women and men,who as parents, sometimes need to leave work to care for their sick children. Paid Family Leave would make sure that parents wouldn’t have to leave their kids home alone, unattended, or in care of other people because they can’t afford to take off work with no pay.

Family Leave is something that has allowed my uncle to continue being a responsible father and family member during his fight with cancer.  He is the sole breadwinner, and primary caregiver, in the family, with a disabled wife in a wheelchair and two children, already a big financial strain on their family. My uncle has to go to the hospital for a treatment every few months and stay for one or two weeks at a time. As the sole breadwinner, his family would be completely lost if he wasn’t able to take paid leave. The company he works for has been very good to him, but I’ve seen other people being forced to choose between the family they love or the job they need because their employers weren’t so understanding. Luckily, I come from a big family and everyone has stepped up to help my uncle and his family, but not everybody has that kind of family support available. And nobody should have to make that kind of impossible choice.

-Amber, Milwaukee WI