Mississippi began offering paid parental leave to state employees on Jan. 1 under the Mississippi State Employees Paid Parental Leave Act, but the change is only a first step, Cassandra Welchlin wrote in an essay for Mississippi Today Ideas.
Welchlin, executive director of the Mississippi Black Women’s Roundtable, said the law matters for mothers recovering from childbirth, for partners learning to care for a new child and for adoptive families. She wrote that the early weeks after birth are critical for pediatric checkups, screenings and follow-up care.
But Welchlin said the protections are limited. She wrote that paid family leave covers only one in five workers in Mississippi and does not reach most private-sector employees. Welchlin also said the law does not cover workers recovering from serious illness, childbirth complications or mental health crises, nor those caring for aging parents or family members with ongoing medical needs.
Welchlin argued the gaps have economic consequences. She wrote that Mississippi ranks near the bottom in workforce participation and for maternal and infant health outcomes, and she cited studies that estimate a return of up to $2.57 for every $1 invested in paid family and medical leave.
Welchlin urged lawmakers to build on the new law by expanding paid family and medical leave to all workers and asked employers to treat the policy as a model rather than a ceiling. She signed the essay as a licensed social worker, mother and an advocate with more than 20 years of experience advancing policies to strengthen economic security and health for Mississippi women and families.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
