This is so important for all of us to watch. While paid leave is also an important part of the puzzle, HERE is an idea that doesn’t have to get government approval or cost taxpayer money. Parents are going to pay for childcare somewhere, why not 1) reduce their commute time by having it at the work location, 2) increase their access to their children 3) contribute to the success of breastfeeding with such access in many cases,… and the benefits go on an on as described in this video. In fact, many parents would likely pay a higher rate for these benefits, and many employers, if they looked at how much turnover from the highly educated female workforce is technically costing them, would be willing to incur some cost to provide such a benefit.

Of course, this stands to benefit many fathers as well as mothers (and the family unit as a whole, for all types of families), but as we know the lack of paid leave and onsite daycare still is having the greatest impact on the female workforce. As a postpartum doula, I witness many mothers struggle with the decision of when to go back to work, whether to go back to work, and how to balance work and family. There are generally so few options available to them with respect to flexibility of hours or location, length of leave, and even childcare arrangements that they feel comfortable with. Infants often go from being with their parents around the clock for the first few months, to suddenly spending most of their waking hours away from home and parents. Imagine what a snuggle or a feeding, from either parent in the middle of the day, would do for their sense of attachment and security and for their parents’ peace of mind. We owe American families more solutions like this one.