Protect Working Families!

Taylor Robinson: Paid Family Leave is SOOOOO important. I am sorry my husband and I are too old to get it now, but my brother in law’s family benefited greatly from him being home, and not leaving all the childcare burden to his wife.

It is an embarrassment that our society is so behind on this matter. Help us start to catch up by protecting more parents from job loss.

It’s so important to so many parents.

My family owns a small business. My father is an architect and my family runs a small firm. For much of my childhood, my mother managed the office, covering reception, keeping the books balanced, and making sure everyone got paid on time. Like many small companies, my mom acted as the Receptionist, Accountant, HR Manager, and Office Manager, all in one.


When I was a baby, my mother took time off from work at the architecture firm after giving birth to bond with me. My mom, of course, had the security of knowing she wouldn’t be fired by her husband from the family business, and she knew the job would be there for her when she returned. Too many parents don’t have that piece of mind.


Not long after returning to work from maternity leave, I contracted a case of Valley Fever. For those of you that don’t know, Valley Fever is a fungal infection that affects the lungs, it’s carried in the soil. It’s common in arid climates like the Central Valley and Arizona, where dust storms carry the fungus across the community. The fungal infection can spread to the eyes and cause blindness, spread to the brain causing meningitis, lung failure, and even death. Anyone can contract Valley Fever, but it’s particularly hard for infants and the elderly. Sometimes treatment of the infection and resulting complications can last months.


She took time off again to care for me, monitor my breathing, take me to the doctor, and administer my treatment. The sad reality is, that if it weren’t our family’s business, my mom might not have had a job waiting for her when she returned. She might have been denied taking leave that second time around. She might not have requested it for fear of losing her job. She might have been fired, and if my family, like many families, rely on one parent and their job to provide insurance, we might have lost our medical insurance in the middle of my treatment.


My brother and I are incredibly lucky that my parents are business owners and that their office was just a few blocks away from our home. Both of my parents had amazing flexibility to be there when my brother and I needed it, but so many parents and families in California aren’t so fortunate. But, it shouldn’t be a matter of being fortunate. All parents should have the right to equal access to paid parental leave. That’s why I support Senate Bill 63.