Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced the Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act (FAMILY Act), legislation that will help millions of workers afford to take time off to address their own serious health condition or to care for an immediate family member or new child.

The FAMILY Act will permit employees to earn up to 12 weeks of paid family leave each year through the creation of a national insurance fund. Both employers and employees would contribute to the fund, which would be administered through a new Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration.

Women are the sole or primary breadwinners in 40% of families with children under 18. Their income is absolutely necessary for the financial stability of their households. But when a medical emergency strikes or when a child is born or adopted, women are the ones most likely to leave the workplace – and their paychecks – to provide care at home. Loss of their incomes just when it is needed the most can be devastating.