This story was originally published by Reasons to be Cheerful
Welcome back to our weekly behind-the-scenes glimpse at what’s getting our team talking. Tell us what you’ve been reading at [email protected] and we just might feature it here.
Crawling before walking
More Americans are able to access paid parental leave than ever, but federal paid leave — the norm in almost every other country — remains illusive. But as Vox explains in a story that caught RTBC Executive Editor Will Doig’s attention this week, the situation is more hopeful than it seems. Parental leave already has bipartisan support — it just keeps getting bundled into ambitious, all-or-nothing packages. The lesson from other countries? Start smaller.
Will says:
It’s easy to assume countries other than the U.S. have offered paid leave to new parents forever, that it’s somehow just built into their cultures. But even the Norways and Denmarks of the world didn’t always have paid leave, and how they got there should give Americans hope that we can baby-step our way to this basic provision enjoyed by virtually every other country on Earth.
Babies at work
Meanwhile, in Tyler, Texas — which does not have paid parental leave — city employees are able to take their babies to work with them for the first six to nine months. As the Texas Tribune reports in a story shared by Editorial Director Rebecca Worby this week, the goal is to help new parents navigate the early months without sacrificing their careers. Representatives from other cities have reached out, wanting to replicate Tyler’s “Babies at Work” program.
Becca says:
This feels less like a solution than a stop-gap for paid leave, but it’s pretty cute to see all these babies in the workplace.
What else we’re reading
Opinion: San Francisco Sobers Up — shared by RTBC founder David Byrne from the New York Times
NYC launches ‘Child Care Hub,’ a comprehensive one-stop search tool for families — shared by Rebecca Worby from Chalkbeat
Youth drug use is down, but overdoses have risen. One town’s schools have a possible solution — shared by Rebecca Worby from the Hechinger Report
In other news…
We’re always glad to hear about solutions journalism cropping up in new places, so we were excited to learn about Be Giant, a newly launched solutions-oriented nonprofit outlet in Canada. Be Giant has already published stories about how to make hockey more affordable, green bus shelters and more.
The post What We’re Reading: Baby Steps Toward U.S. Paid Parental Leave appeared first on Reasons to be Cheerful.
