Commentators are saying it is significant he called it family leave, rather than maternity leave.

"It's critical that it's shifting to paid family leave and away from maternity leave," says Victoria Budson, executive director of Harvard's Women and Public Policy Program."

Budson points to a lot of research showing that dads need time to bond with babies as well, and that America's ageing Baby Boomers are likely to put strain on their younger relatives who have to care for them.

Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Ireland, Switzerland and New Zealand - all available paid leave is related to the birth or care of a child.

In 2016 New Zealand introduced changes that allow people other than the biological mother to be the nominated care-giver.

In terms of the length of family leave, New Zealand ranks 40 out of the 41 countries according to data compiled by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Trump's proposal of six weeks off would still leave the United States at to bottom of the list after New Zealand, which has 18 weeks of paid leave for both new mothers and fathers.

Most generous is Estonia, which allows for two years.

The global average is 20 weeks, according to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Recently, at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia in 2015, Pope Francis said:

"[W]e cannot call any society healthy when it does not leave real room for family life. We cannot think that a society has a future when it fails to pass laws capable of protecting families and ensuring their basic needs, especially those of families just starting out."

Source

• ncregister.com
• money.cnn.com
• stuff.co.nz
• pewresearech.org
• Image: cdn.newzealandnow.govt.nz

"I wish I could work less," says Ebetsch, who now lives in northern Illinois, where she moved to be closer to family after her daughter was born. "When I have another baby at some point, I would love to take three months off or more. There absolutely are advantages to working: You get mental exercise and my daughter gets to play with other people. But part of me thinks, wouldn't it be great to be home a little more and not go to bed thinking about work? To think about my family instead?"

Ebetsch isn't the only parent to face such a dilemma, and though the Catholic Church takes pride in its reputation as an institution that prioritizes family life, there is a much broader range of "pro-family" issues than the ones most people define that way these days.

Things like adequate child care, family leave policies, union membership, and many more issues have a direct impact on whether men and women feel financially prepared to have children and spend adequate time with them. Though the workplace is in many ways the opposite of home, its values and policies have a direct bearing on employees' family lives, and many wonder why the church isn't more vocal about such issues.

High price of parenting

This is an expensive era in which to be an American parent. Since 1960, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has been keeping track of how much it costs to raise a child from birth to age 17. In 2011, the latest year for which numbers are available, two-parent, two-child households with incomes of less than $59,410 spent between $8,760 and $9,970—or about 25 percent of their income—on necessities such as housing, child care, and food per child a year. Continue reading

Sources

• U.S.Catholic
• Image: TopNews.in

In the week before Easter a member's bill which aims to extend paid parental leave in New Zealand from 14 to 26 weeks came up in the ballot.

It is being proposed by Labour's Sue Moroney, and with Peter Dunne's vote there would be enough support in Parliament for it to to be given a first reading.

However Bill English has announced that the Government will make rare use of its power of veto to stop the passing of any legislation that extends the period of paid parental leave. The Prime Minister, John Key, who is in Indonesia, subsequently said the National Party may consider extending paid parental leave at some time in the future.

"Successive Governments have undervalued mothers - and it continues with this decision.

"In reality, this policy would represent about 0.2% of the total Government spending, yet research shows that the role of mothers and the early bonding between mums and babies is vital for healthy child development."

The Families Commission has reversed its earlier support for a full year of paid parental leave, saying the country can probably no longer afford it.

Most bills are government bills. However, members who are not Ministers can introduce their own bills, which are called members' bills.

The House has limited the number of members' bills that can be introduced. Bills are selected by ballot.

When a ballot is to take place, members are notified of the number of new members' bills that can be introduced and are invited to enter bills in the ballot. They have until 10.00 am on the day of the ballot to notify the Clerk of their intention to enter.

Under Parliament's rules, the Government can veto a bill if it is deemed to have more than a minor impact on government finances.

Source

• TVNZ -Family First
• New Zealand Herald - Bill English
• New Zealand Herald -Families Commission
• TVNZ - John Key
• Image: TV3