Maternity Leave in The U.S.

The first two years in a baby’s life is a very critical time. The infant needs a lot of care and love from their parents. It requires a lot of dedication, time, and attention. That is why jobs offer maternity leave. But why does the US not offer fully paid maternity leave?

Out of 178 countries, the US is one of three that does not offer paid maternity leave. In the US, mothers get 12 weeks of unpaid maternity leave. Women are forced to put their careers and financial future at risk simply because they want to have children. To me that seems very unfair.

I’ve constantly heard that we, in the US have been raising our children the wrong way. I feel like it is hard to raise a child when you are pretty much forced to go back to work. Without work, you would not be able to support yourself of the child. Then you are left with no other choice but to have someone else watch your child.

If you place your child in daycare, or you are left to hire a babysitter, someone else may be raising your child. How do you know for sure they are raising your child the way you want your child to be raised? If you don’t like the idea of someone else bonding with your child, then you take your UNPAID maternity leave and get behind, not only in your career but on your finances as well. Our country needs to think about the future. The children being born are going to run this country some day. Don’t we want someone who was raised well? If we