A Better Balance

08/20/2026

A new study shows that caregivers face an increased risk of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems.

Caregivers are a vital part of our economy and society – without the millions of individuals in the U.S. who provide unpaid care for loved ones, our healthcare system would be inundated and overwhelmed.

But so many caregivers struggle due to a lack of support. Protections like paid leave can help by easing carers' financial stress and helping them be there for their loved ones without sacrificing their income.

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08/17/2026

63 million Americans are family caregivers, providing essential support for loved ones with serious health needs.

We can care for our country's caregivers by passing policies like paid leave, which can help them be there for their families when it matters most without having to leave the workforce or sacrifice their income.

Our country couldn't run without caregivers. Powerful new reporting in the Washington Post shares their stories, and highlights the challenges many of them face without support:

As a teenager, she was an Oakland Raiders cheerleader. Now, like millions of Americans, she spends her days as a caregiver.

08/12/2026

Happy International Youth Day!

Supporting young people at work is a key part of helping them meet their career goals and build a strong economic foundation, without having to sacrifice their own health or caring for their loved ones.

Legal policies like paid leave, paid sick time, and pregnancy accommodations level the playing field for the emerging workforce by extending critical rights to workers across all industries, including fields like retail and hospitality, where employers might not provide these benefits.

Learn more about how we're fighting for the supportive, healthy workplaces of tomorrow:

Our updated resources highlight the supports the emerging workforce needs in order to thrive.

08/05/2026

Attacks on LGBTQ+ dignity and equality are increasingly happening at the state level, where lawmakers are using abusive laws to target LGBTQ+ rights, visibility, and daily life and ban localities from setting their own standards around LGBTQ equality.

In a new report co-authored with our partners at Equality Federation and the Local Solutions Support Center, we’re sounding the alarm on this growing trend of anti-LGBTQ lawmaking in the states.

From blocking transgender students from participating in school sports, to banning pride flags in town halls and schools, we’ve seen more than 200 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in 48 states across the country over the last two years. The vast majority of these bills target transgender and nonbinary people specifically.

Our new analysis outlines the importance of defending local rulemaking and organizing against these attacks on an already-vulnerable community.

Co-authored with Equality Federation and the Local Solutions Support Center

07/31/2026

Every student deserves the right to be supported in pursuing their educational goals while pregnant or parenting.

Last year, with support from Public Justice, we intervened as the plaintiff in two cases seeking to stop the Department of Education from abandoning essential regulations protecting pregnant and parenting students' rights to accommodations at school, including more frequent bathroom breaks and the ability to stay in the same classes and extracurriculars.

However, after the Fifth Circuit recently issued a decision that will make it difficult to continue moving our case forward as legal advocates for students' rights, we've made the difficult decision to dismiss our appeals in both cases.

Regulatory bodies like the Department of Education play a critical role in protecting students' rights as they seek an education. Students balancing pregnancy or childcare with their coursework are counting on strong regulations, but the Trump administration’s 2020 Rule, which will remain in effect, only undermines their ability to access the support they need.

Our work is far from finished; we won't stop advocating for pregnant and parenting students' rights to protect their health and learn free from harassment or discrimination.

More from Public Justice:

We fought in the courts for a Title IX rule that better protects pregnant and postpartum students. In 2025, two federal courts in Kentucky and Texas Learn more about student survivors’ Title IX rights under the 2020 Rule and how courts are misusing the law to block civil rights lawsuits.

07/29/2026

In a Charge of Discrimination we filed with the U.S. EEOC on behalf of our client, an Amtrak employee, we allege that the transit company denied her the accommodations she needed to pump breastmilk after giving birth to her daughter.

Now, the agency has issued a letter finding reasonable cause to believe that Amtrak violated her legal rights.

As a publicly-funded company, Amtrak has a higher mandate to follow federal law and provide accommodations to lactating employees, especially those in male-dominated roles, in order to advance gender parity.

We're pleased by the EEOC’s letter, and we call on Amtrak to reach a fair resolution on our client's charge, and to ensure that other employees in her shoes won't be forced to choose between their career and feeding their child.

Recently, the EEOC issued a letter finding reasonable cause to believe that Amtrak violated our client's rights by denying her accommodations to pump breast milk.

07/27/2026

Paid time off work can make a world of difference for parents with babies in the NICU. Across the country, we’ve seen promising new momentum in securing guaranteed paid NICU leave for parents navigating this difficult time.

States can play a key role in alleviating the burden on working NICU parents by implementing NICU leave policies that are practical and accessible for workers facing one of the most stressful periods in their lives.

With consideration for the unique needs of NICU families, we've created a detailed best practices guide for developing NICU leave policies that meet parents’ needs during this time:

Our new guide explains best practices for state advocates seeking to pass NICU leave policies that meet families' needs during this time.

07/24/2026

California lawmakers just approved up to 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for public school and community college teachers! Educators work hard to care for others' children, and this policy will help support their economic security as they grow their own families.

As we told the Los Angeles Times, this win exemplifies how paid leave “polls incredibly well across all political lines, because everyone agrees that you shouldn’t have to go back to work a day after you had a baby."

Paid leave is a common-sense lifeline for families, and it's great to see California modeling how states can advance and strengthen these protections for more workers.

California lawmakers approved up to 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for public school educators, ending a long-standing gap in teacher benefits.

07/22/2026

Yesterday was Black Women's Equal Pay Day, a time to recognize the wage gap Black working women still face.

A new report by the 75 Million Campaign shines a light on the ways Black women are being undervalued, underpaid, and denied critical benefits at work. It's unacceptable that Black women working full-time and year-round earn just 69 cents for every dollar paid to non-Hispanic white men, a disparity caused by structural sexism and racism.

Black women power our economy – they deserve fair pay and supportive workplaces. We all have an obligation to fight for pay equity.

07/21/2026

We partnered with the National Collaborative for Infants & Toddlers and the Alliance for Early Success to co-host "When Everyday Counts: Why Families Need Time to Care for their Babies in the NICU," a webinar sharing NICU families' stories and highlighting the supports they need.

No NICU parent should be forced to stress over whether they'll have a job waiting for them once their child is discharged. A right to expanded NICU leave can help parents take the time they need to be present, without fear.

Click through to watch:

For most parents, welcoming a new baby comes with excitement, anticipation and precious time spent bonding as a family. But for families whose babies require care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), those first days and weeks can look very different. During a recent National Collaborative for....