Paid Family Leave in the United States
Taking care of babies is taking care of the world
Maternity Leave Matters Monday
After I was fired for asking to work part-time, I started Maternity Leave Matters Monday. For a year, while Nova was still a baby, I put her on my hip, picked up a microphone, and walked up to strangers at parks, malls and stores to ask them one question:
"Do you know we are the only developed country that doesn't have paid maternity leave?"
Teenagers, grandparents, teachers, business owners, fathers, and people without kids all stopped to answer. Paid leave shapes every family in this country, so I didn't just ask mothers.
Featured in Women's History Month
Visionary Women in The Urban News, Asheville, NC: 2026
"Advocate for mothers and families"
What Inspired Jade's Vision
Having a baby saved my life. It cured my depression and my drinking, but I almost didn't have her, because America is the only developed country without a national paid leave policy.
When I went back to work, I asked to go part-time so I could prioritize my baby, and I was fired. So I interviewed people about the maternity leave crisis in America. Jade's Vision grew out of those conversations, and it works toward a country that protects the beginning of life the way it already protects the end.
"When we prioritize babies and families, we all win as a collective society."
Born Into Separation
America is the only wealthy nation that doesn't guarantee paid maternity leave— This post explores how early separation harms babies, the science behind the mother-baby bonding, and our national wellbeing—and why its time we demand better.
Let's Connect
I love to hear from my readers and fans! Let me know if you have any questions, concerns, mother challenges, or ideas to contribute to Jade's Vision.
Remember, it takes a collective to make change