NPR

Paid Family Leave Gains Momentum In States As Bipartisan Support Grows

Paid time off for illness and family caregivers has substantial bipartisan support. Several states are expected to consider proposals, but there are disagreements over how to structure and pay for it.
Wendy Chase was elected to the New Hampshire House in November. Her mission to pass paid parental leave was inspired by the decades of care her daughter required after being diagnosed with cancer at age 2.

In New Hampshire, there's no requirement that employers offer paid leave to workers who are caring for newborns or taking care of elderly parents.

Wendy Chase campaigned last fall for a seat in the state House promising to change that — and won.

"This is my first term, and I'm not a politician. I'm just a mom on a mission," she says.

That mission started when her daughter, Erin Pappas, was diagnosed with a rare bone cancer at age 2. For over three decades, Chase accompanied Pappas

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