Policy & Practice February 2018

As human services leaders, we con- stantly search for and test new and better ways of implementing human services programs and policies to attain better outcomes for our cus- tomers. We look for even the smallest components of the human services system with room for improvement, yet we tend to shy away from looking outside of the system to address issues that create barriers to the outcomes we want for our customers. Truly advancing along the Human Services Value Curve toward more integrative and generative models that examine root causes and co-create broader solutions requires us to extend our leadership and influence beyond the bounds of our human services universe. Paid family and medical leave is a prime example of a systemic change outside of the human services system that could dramatically impact the human services system and the customers we serve.

Years ago, as a new front-line human services worker, I remember being struck by the number of families I served who would have had no need to turn to public safety-net programs like Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and food assistance if they had just had access to paid sick days, or paid family and medical leave. Though intended to promote parental employment, the TANF program has long served as a form of income support for low-income, single parents caring for infants. It allows parents to stay home with young children, thus benefitting child-well- being. However, it often requires them to detach from the workforce and depend on public benefits to meet their basic needs. This reality impacts the broader human services system by diverting resources meant to serve the program’s target population—parents who need assistance finding employ- ment. In fact, in a unique study in Wisconsin, analysis of TANF admin- istrative data from 2006 showed that a majority of TANF participants were exempt from work requirements; 48 percent were new mothers and 17 percent had a disability. 1 In other words, the majority of the state’s TANF participants were not parents who likely needed assistance finding employment, but rather individuals who might have been better served by a paid family and medical leave insurance program, or a temporary disability insurance program. Today, in my role at APHSA, I continue to hear from our members how lack of paid family and medical leave creates hardships for low-income families, causing them to turn to the human services system to meet their needs. Low-wage workers—whom we frequently serve through the human services system—are the least likely to have access to paid leave through their employer. 2 And in the few states that have statewide paid family and medical leave insurance, low-wage workers are the least likely to be aware of the program. Yet, there is ample evidence linking paid family and medical leave to the health and well- being outcomes we desire for them. Not only does access to and use of paid sick days and paid family and medical

KeyWins at the State Level

States with Paid Family and Medical Leave 2002 California

2008 New Jersey

2013 Rhode Island

2016 New York

Kerry Desjardins is a Policy Analyst at APHSA’s Center for Employment and Economic Well- Being.

2016 District of Columbia

Gayle Goldin is the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Campaign Advisor for Family Values @ Work.

2017 Washington

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Policy&Practice February 2018