When my son was born, I didn’t bring him home.

Instead, I stood beside his incubator in the NICU, watching monitors measure every breath. He had been diagnosed with laryngomalacia and a dysfunctional vocal cord, making it nearly impossible for him to eat. I moved between skin-to-skin contact and a breast pump, determined to give him the presence and nutrition he needed to survive.

Those days were terrifying. They were also possible because I had paid maternity leave.

In Utah, we like to say that if you work hard, go to church, go to college, get married, you can “make it work.” I believed that. I built a career. I did everything right.

But life does not always follow a formula.

While pregnant with my son, my husband abandoned us. Suddenly, I had to prepare for single motherhood before my baby was even born. I knew that without paid maternity leave, we would not survive financially or emotionally. I was fortunate to find a job that provided 16 weeks of paid leave.

Most Utah families are not so lucky.

Nationally, only 27% of private-sector workers have access to paid family leave through their employer, according to the Department of Labor. Utah fares even worse. About 75% of working Utahns — roughly 1.4 million people — do not have paid family leave through their jobs. Even unpaid leave under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act is out of reach for 65% of Utah workers. That means most parents must return to work quickly or lose income entirely.

The research is clear about what that costs families. Paid leave is linked to lower infant mortality and improved maternal health outcomes, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. Babies whose parents can take leave are more likely to attend well-child visits and receive recommended vaccinations. Parents with paid leave experience lower rates of postpartum depression, and infants benefit from stronger early attachment during the most critical period of brain development.

In the NICU, presence matters even more. Skin-to-skin contact, also known as kangaroo care, is associated with improved weight gain, more stable heart rates and breathing, reduced infections, and shorter hospital stays, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Breastfeeding initiation and duration increase when parents can remain with their babies, strengthening immune development and long-term health.

If I had been forced back to work immediately, I would not have been there during the most critical days of my son’s life.

Paid leave did not just give me time; it gave my son stability, and it gave our little family a chance.

It is also good for business. Replacing an employee can cost 20% or more of that worker’s annual salary, according to the Center for American Progress. States that have adopted paid leave policies report improved employee retention and stronger workforce stability.

Utah prides itself on being a pro-family state. In just a few days, the Utah Legislature will conclude its 2026 session. Lawmakers still have the opportunity to pass HB329 and strengthen paid parental and foster leave for state employees, ensuring more public servants can care for their children without sacrificing their livelihoods.

We tell young people that if they do everything right, they can make it work. Paid family leave is how we actually make it work — for children, for parents and for Utah families.

Jennifer Stout is an early childhood education policy analyst at Voices for Utah Children and a Utah mother. She advocates for policies that strengthen families and ensure every child has a healthy start in life.

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