Protecting Every Future is a program of The American Council of Life Insurers.
Paid Leave: An Underutilized Tool for Connection, Growth, and Happiness
By Paul Goff and Lauryl Jackson
When recalling my early childhood, one individual stands constant: my father. He was a dedicated presence during my crucial early years, someone who paused his career to take care of his family — a choice that allowed him to find greater happiness in life.
My father’s choice underscores the benefits of paid family and medical leave for fathers in America. I was among the fortunate minority of children in America whose fathers were adequately present in their life. Indeed, studies have found that 63% of fathers say they spend too little time with their children.
The steady presence of a fatherly figure in a child’s early years is critical for their development. It also can help address the educational challenges many children face, especially boys. Indeed, boys are less prepared to start school as kindergartners, 3x more likely than girls to be expelled, and make up only 33% of bachelor’s degree recipients.
Studies show numerous long-term benefits come from a father’s involvement with their child’s life. Children with involved fathers are 80% less likely to go to jail, show lower levels of substance use, greater emotional regulation, better problem-solving skills, and are 43% more likely to earn A’s in school.
The benefits extend to parents as well. When a father devotes more time to co-parenting, the parents’ relationship quality substantially improves. Also, the more a father is involved in their child’s life, the less likely they are to exhibit depressive symptoms.
These findings reveal that taking time off through paid family and medical leave can not only be an avenue for fathers to help their children, but also a way to help themselves shine.
When I asked my father, Bill, who was a city planner making over $100,000, how he felt about putting his career on pause, he said, “I did it happily. I needed to make sure you got the support you needed … It made the household a lot easier … To me it didn’t set me back, it allowed me to reorient and rediscover myself.”
As policymakers continue to pursue ways to expand access to paid family and medical leave, America’s life insurers stand ready to engage on this crucial topic that is so important to American families.
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