Chris – Paternity Leave Was Not A Priority

I was a high school teacher when my wife and I had our son. While the county I worked for had a generous maternity leave policy in place, paternity leave was not a priority. I received a total of three paid days off. We were able to schedule the birth in the summer, to take advantage of summer vacation, but when the time came to go back to work, we still had an infant who needed constant care.

I started suffering panic attacks in school during the semester I returned to work, wishing I could’ve been home more to help my wife and family. I wound up leaving my job and staying home with my son full time. Our nation needs a paid leave policy that covers all caregivers.