Paid Sick Days Are Good for Kids and the Country

Step by step, elected officials are realizing that parents need to be able to take paid sick days off from work to care for their children without risking their jobs or their income. In fact, five states, one county, and 31 cities now have adopted paid-sick-days laws. But we have a long way to go to ensure all workers in the U.S. have this important peace of mind.

That's why Kids Action is encouraging parents to speak up now on behalf of a bill in Congress that will improve the health of children and reduce stress on parents. The Healthy Families Act will guarantee up to seven paid sick days per year to employees in the U.S. who work for companies with 15 employees or more. Your voice on this issue is really important.

Many of us take it for granted that if we get sick or our child gets sick, we can stay home for a day or two without fear of losing our job or pay. But that's not the case for almost 40 percent of private-sector workers in America. More than 40 million Americans, many of whom are lower-income workers who have the least resources, do not have paid sick days through their employers. That's bad for kids, and that's why we've given the Healthy Families Act our "For Kids" legislative rating.

The bill will improve the lives of children and working parents or guardians across the country:

• Parents with paid sick days are less likely to send a sick child to school or child care.
• When parents are able to take days off to care for their sick children, those children recover faster and reduce the risk of infecting classmates.
• More than one in four parents of a child who suffers from asthma (28 percent) have missed one of their child's medical appointments because they were not able to take time off work.

Evidence shows that paid sick days are also good for the economy and public health. And we know we can win on paid sick days with your help. Click here to learn more about the issue and how to contact your senator or member of Congress to support this "For Kids" bill.

Take action today!

At Common Sense Kids Action, we're working every day to make the world a better place for kids. Join our efforts to make kids our nation's top priority -- become a Kids Action Advocate today!