As Kansas expands paid leave for state employees, advocates look to private sector

TOPEKA — As a staunch advocate for proper breastfeeding practices, Brenda Bandy has witnessed the way stressors from a return to work can undercut lactation.

Bandy, executive director of the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, said returning to work after a leave of absence for a newborn is commonly listed among the biggest barriers to continuing breastfeeding. In the United States and Kansas, she said, most jobs offer unpaid leave, but many cannot afford to take time off without income.

Advocates of paid leave point out that the United States is the only industrialized country with no paid requirement.

“Every single day that a parent can be home and not have economic consequences for not being able to receive full pay makes this huge difference for both the parent and the child,” Bandy said. We know there are better health outcomes for both mothers and babies the longer that they can be together after birth.”

Read more: https://kansasreflector.com/2021/07/13/as-kansas-expands-paid-leave-for-state-employees-advocates-look-to-private-sector/