Op-Ed: Paid family and medical leave is an investment in New Mexico’s future

Tracy McDaniel
Southwest Women’s Law Center
Las Cruces Sun News

In the last few years, Southwest Women’s Law Center has led a coalition advocating for the passage of Paid Family and Medical Leave Act in the New Mexico state legislature. PFMLA would create a state-administered trust fund that ensures that no one has to choose between their job and caring for a new child, a family member with a serious health concern, or their own serious medical condition.

Last year, the Doña Ana County Early Childhood Education Coalition, a part of the prenatal to career education initiative called the SUCCESS Partnership, joined a growing number of organizations, individuals, and small business owners asking the state to make this critical investment in working families. Bringing Paid Family & Medical Leave to New Mexico is a goal of the Children Born into Healthy Homes Action Network, and the reasons are clear.

In states with PFML programs, families who take paid leave to welcome a new child have better outcomes. PFML programs have been found to decrease child abuse injuries and infant mortality, increase vaccination and breastfeeding rates, and improve the physical and mental health of parents during the first two years of life.

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