I am very grateful that I live in New Jersey for the benefit of family leave insurance, which most states do not have. However, the cost of living in NJ is such that that we still struggled with receiving only a fraction of my full pay for only 6 weeks. As a resident of this state, I would be willing to pay more into the Family Leave Insurance plan if it would help add to the time and amont of money other mothers and fathers could recieve to be able to spend time with their new children. I believe New Jersey has been and should continue to be a leader on this issue.

When my son Xavier was just a day old, his father and I were concerned about a little lump on the left side of his forehead, and his right eye would not open as often as the left eye would. The discharging doctor from the hospital told me to not worry about it, but suggested that I have our pediatrician check it out during his first well baby examination.

I firmly believe that one of the reasons [my daughter and I] are so close...is the intimacy of the bonding that began in those first three months. We need to expand family leave. There is no asset, no natural resource, no source of joy greater than our children. It’s in everyone’s interest to help our children get what they need to grow into healthy, civic-minded, conscientious adults. And what they need – and deserve – is time at the beginning of their lives to build the strongest, most supportive relationships possible with the people who will raise them.

Al-nisa reflects on how different the situation would have been if she and her husband hadn’t had that time after their 2nd baby’s birth. “I think it would have been more stressful for my oldr son, because it would have been a lot more stressful for me,” she explains. “The difference between a calm spirit and stress means everything with a child with autism.” Al-nisa was able to take the time to explain concepts like breastfeeding to her son. “We were able to understand what his needs were. I can’t imagine that would have been possible if I hadn’t had that time and my husband there as well.”