The health effects of Paid Family and Medical Leave

MassBudget    Information.    Participation.  Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center    Democracy. April 19, 2018 The health effects of Paid Family and Medical Leave Health is influenced by a variety of factors, such as where people live, access to healthy foods, and affordability of health care. Policies that address a worker's ability to care for family members, like Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML), also shape health outcomes. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center's new report, Time to Care:The Health Effects of Paid Family & Medical Leave, finds that PFML can have a range of effects on child health, parental health, and senior health. The report explores the different impacts PFML has on health outcomes, which include: Reducing negative effects that particular aspects of work have on pregnant women, many of which are associated with delivery complications. Benefits to children's and mothers' health through increased rates and duration of breastfeeding when mothers are able to take leave. More time for parents to bond with newborns, recover from childbirth, and take young children to the doctor. Improvement of mothers' mental health when they have access to job-protected, paid leave. More time for workers to care for elder relatives. Read the full report here. The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 15 COURT SQUARE, SUITE 700 BOSTON, MA 02108

Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center, 15 Court Square, Suite 700, Boston, MA 02108