Carney to back paid parental leave for state workers

State workers in Delaware could soon get a rare benefit in the United States.

Gov. John Carney is expected to back a bill Tuesday that would provide 12 weeks of paid leave for hundreds of new parents employed by the state.

The announcement is expected in a 1:30 p.m. press conference at Legislative Hall that will precede the General Assembly's return to session.

Carney's office and the bill's chief sponsor Rep. Debra Heffernan, D-Bellefonte, declined to comment Monday.

Multiple sources said the governor has already included funding for the measure in the budget proposal he will unveil later this month.

Carney's support is not a guarantee the bill will pass, but it does increase the measure's chances given Democrats' majority in both houses of the Legislature.

STORY: Jennings resigns county post, will run for attorney general

RELATED: Gun control measure introduced in Delaware General Assembly on Sandy Hook anniversary

That's great news for Lori Sebastian, a third-grade teacher in the Appoquinimink School District who is thinking about having a second child.

Sebastian had to save up sick days and file for short-term disability to cover the 9-week maternity leave she took when her daughter Cora was born in 2016.

"This would be a huge relief for my family," she said. "The stress of starting a family while worrying about whether you can pay your bills is just so tremendous."

The federal Family Medical Leave Act allows state – and most private employees – to take 12 weeks of leave to care for a newborn. But the law does not require employers to pay workers during that time.

Currently, only three states – California, New Jersey and Rhode Island – require private employers to provide paid family leave, including time off to care for sick family members. Seven others offer some form of paid family leave to state workers.

Vicki Shabo, vice president of the nonprofit National Partnership for Women and Families, said demand for paid family leave has been growing for some time and is finally gaining some momentum on both sides of the political aisle.

"There is a growing body of evidence that shows providing paid family leave actually reduces long-term health-care costs," she said. "Paid leave for new parents means babies are more likely to be breastfed and taken for immunizations, for example. Workers with access to paid family leave are also less likely to use public assistance."

Many young teachers often encounter difficulty when it comes to starting a family, according to Kristin Dwyer of the Delaware State Education Association.

"This is a serious undertaking for anyone, but when parents are forced to take a pay cut or even unpaid leave in order to start a family, life, in general, becomes more challenging," she said.

Sebastian said that using up all her sick days and short-term disability to cover her brief maternity leave meant she was unable to take any more time off for her daughter's doctor appointments later in the year.

Her husband Colin ended up quitting his job with Dover Downs Hotel & Casino so he could stay home with Cora, she said.

"It was very difficult to miss those appointments and know I would not be able to stay home to take care of her if she got sick," Lori said. "And I haven't built up enough sick days since then if we were to have a second child. I would have to take [unpaid days off] and then maybe not have enough to make ends meet."

Under House Bill 3, Sebastian would no longer need to make that choice. She and other full-time state workers employed for at least a year would be able to take up to four months of paid maternity or paternity leave within 12 months of the birth of a child. Parents who adopt a child 6 and younger also would be eligible.

The Office of the Controller General estimates about 1,000 state workers a year, both men and women, would be eligible for the paid parental leave offered by the bill. The total cost to the state is estimated at about $2.5 million a year.

"Opponents often talk about the costs of providing paid parental leave," Shabo said. "But the cost of doing nothing is often ignored."

Shabo said she hopes HB3 – initially introduced in April – is just a first step. Workers who face a similar choice between making ends meet and caring for a sick loved one also deserve paid leave, she said.

"You need to start somewhere," Sebastian said. "To me, it makes sense to start with getting a baby healthy and ready to go for life."

Contact reporter Scott Goss at (302) 324-2281, sgoss@delawareonline.com or on Twitter @ScottGossDel.