Local parents are speaking out in support of Governor Cuomo's paid leave proposal. The plan would offer New Yorkers 12 weeks of job-protected paid leave.
It would allow them to care for new children or seriously ill relatives. Parents who attended a public forum at Buffalo City Hall Monday night say the move would be necessary.
"People don't think about the ins and outs of being a parent. Those first few weeks are really really challenging and having both parents at home would be really helpful. Even if one of us was able to access paid leave, we would've been able to hire a post partum doula to help out, and we couldn't do that," explained Leslie Nickerson, a mom who supports the bill.
Currently there is a federal law that provides for family leave, but no pay. The governor says this new plan would be paid for by what he calls a "nominal employee contribution" from your weekly paycheck.
