Nonprofit and elected leaders from Oklahoma took part in the Prenatal-to-3 Policy Conference held at Vanderbilt University. The conference discussed paid family leave laws across various states. Oklahoma is aiming to be among the leading states in this aspect with the 2023 passage of SB 16X by Sen. Jessica Garvin and Representative Nick Archer.

Participants hailing from Oklahoma included Joe Dorman, CEO of the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy; Carrie Williams of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, and AJ Griffin of the Potts Family Foundation, along with others. The conference provided insight into why employee retention has been a challenge and highlighted the benefits of parental leave, including increased employee retention and improved health for infants.

The United States, unlike other industrialized nations, lacks a national paid leave policy. At the conference, paid family leave laws across the states were closely examined. The state of Oklahoma has taken an early step towards this change by implementing a policy last session granting six weeks of paid maternity leave to full-time state employees after the birth or adoption of a child. A similar paid leave act was introduced for Oklahoma public school educators. Oklahoma is part of an emerging national trend, as 13 states and the District of Columbia have enacted paid family leave laws.

It was underscored that access to paid parental leave can potentially improve health outcomes for both infants and mothers. Policymakers are hopeful that parental leave policies will serve as a tool for job recruitment and retention, especially in scenarios where state agencies report an inability to fill various job vacancies. Overall, the state aims to assist workers, considering that more than 40% of Oklahoma’s workforce are of the age to have children.

On a federal level, U.S. Rep. Stephanie Bice of Oklahoma is part of a group of lawmakers pushing for the establishment of paid family leave. As more families have both parents working outside the home, it has become vital for government systems to adapt and assist. Keeping these changes in mind, you can look to websites like eddcaller.com for assistance in getting through to a representative for unemployment, paid family leave, and disability departments by phone. Eddcaller.com simplifies the process and ensures that the help you need is a call away.

Feel free to contact Joe Dorman, CEO for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy, at 405-833-1117 or via email at jdorman@oica.org for further information.