A Better Balance

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A Better Balance

Advancing justice for workers caring for themselves and their loved ones.

06/04/2026

"I was not prepared for the lack of support," writes Rebeca, a NICU mom who shared her family's story to advocate with A Better Balance after her son spent three weeks in the NICU.

"For those twenty-one days, I felt myself split apart into many pieces trying to manage everything all by myself. This is when I learned firsthand the struggles that many don’t see when they look at NICU parents like me," she told us. "People may see the emotional stress, the fear, the anxiety, the prayers that my baby will be okay. But they don’t always see the utter lack of support in place for NICU families."

Job-protected leave from work can make a world of difference for NICU parents' economic security as they take the time they need to be present with their babies. Moms like Rebeca are speaking out to call for change – our lawmakers must listen to their lived expertise and take action.

"I am reminded of the lack of support our country offers NICU families every time I look back on my first year of motherhood, as well as every time I care for another NICU parent as their postpartum nurse. We all deserve more."

06/01/2026

Starting today, parents in Illinois have access to up to 20 days of unpaid, job-protected leave when their baby needs to spend time in the NICU!

This comes on the heels of Colorado's expansion to its statewide paid family and medical leave program to provide extra time off for NICU parents taking effect this January.

The guarantee of a job to return to for parents who need to be present with their babies during this time can make a world of difference, and we’re pushing more states to take action to guarantee more support for NICU families.

Illinois will soon become the second state to require companies to offer unpaid leave for parents with children receiving NICU care.

05/26/2026

Colorado's paid leave expansion for NICU parents sets a gold standard for supporting families navigating this time.

We joined Lemonada Media's Good Things podcast alongside advocate and NICU mom Farra to discuss Colorado's recent progress. We also highlighted how this win paves the way for other states to follow suit in passing laws that guarantee support for NICU parents in the workplace, plus a new federal bill that would extend extra job-protected leave under the FMLA to NICU parents nationwide.

Listen on Spotify:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/6KNNcbjB083ccfxfncLW04?si=cd56c6be9c67445a&nd=1&dlsi=5a5e8731f7084de0

Good Things from Lemonada · Episode

05/21/2026

May is National Foster Care Month, a time for raising awareness about the hundreds of thousands of children in the U.S. foster care system, and how we can support the unique needs of foster families and kinship caregivers to help promote positive outcomes for children.

As many states face a shortage of foster homes, it’s important to do everything we can to support foster parents and caregivers.

Access to paid parental leave allows foster parents to meaningfully address a newly placed child’s specific medical, behavioral, and emotional needs while promoting healthy bonding.

Support in the workplace is essential for all new parents, and it’s important that our paid leave laws provide the same protections for foster parents as for birth or adoptive parents.

Support in the workplace is essential for all new parents, and it’s important that our paid leave laws provide the same protections for foster parents as for birth or adoptive parents.

05/18/2026

NICU parents like Farra, Marlon, Rebeca, and Martin deserve to be present when their babies need them most, without fear of losing their jobs and facing financial ruin.

The Associated Press shared their stories of their children's time in the NICU – the anxiety, uncertainty, and urgency – and covered our fight to guarantee more support in the workplace.

Colorado recently expanded the state's paid family and medical leave program to provide more paid leave for parents with babies in the NICU. State and federal lawmakers can follow their lead by passing stronger workplace protections for NICU parents and ensuring they aren't forced to worry about their paycheck during a costly, stressful time.

Parents with newborns in intensive care units have long faced a difficult but overlooked plight: Any parental leave they might have does not take into account the days or even months their newborns spend in intensive care.

05/15/2026

Amazon cannot continue to abuse its pregnant warehouse workers in the dark. A new Nation article tells the stories of our clients, Jennifer and Willamina, exposing the retail giant's disturbing pattern of illegally forcing women off the job when they try to follow their doctor’s orders and request basic pregnancy accommodations.

We’re so grateful to our clients for speaking out and fighting for Amazon to change its practices. No employer, not even Amazon, is exempt from following laws like the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act.

Pregnant workers at the mega-corporation say they endure unsafe conditions and are punished when they asked for accommodations.

05/13/2026

For parents with babies in the NICU, being present during this often stressful time should be their number one priority – not worrying about whether they’ll have the time they need to bond with their babies at home.

Young parents can often face unique challenges and systemic barriers, especially in the workplace. Workers between ages 16-24 are more concentrated in industries where they're less likely to have access to workplace supports like paid leave.

Combined with the increased risk of maternal and infant health complications they face, too many young parents are left unable to keep their jobs and paycheck when their babies have intensive health needs – one of the most difficult, costly times for a growing family to lose their income.

Regardless of the parents’ age, NICU families have unique needs, and our workplace laws should reflect that. Supportive workplace laws set a standard that better protects workers across industries, and can help young parents manage their and their families’ health needs, protect their jobs, and meet their career and educational goals.

Learn more:

Young parents often face unique needs, especially when their babies spend time in the NICU. Supportive workplaces can make a world of difference.

05/08/2026

"On a holiday devoted to honoring mothers, it is worth asking whose motherhood is actually respected in practice."

The Trump administration has made sweeping cuts to critical healthcare infrastructure and research to further an "anti-woke" political agenda.

In a new op-ed for Ms. Magazine, ABB President Inimai Chettiar shares her own story of seeking a diagnosis for her infant daughter when she refused to eat (and being dismissed by healthcare providers) and sounds the alarm on how dismantling equity-driven programs overwhelmingly harms moms and babies of color.

This Mother's Day, what moms really need is a healthcare system that listens to and supports them and their babies, especially when health crises arise.

As Trump dismantles federal programs studying racial disparities in healthcare, mothers of color warn of consequences for children and families

05/06/2026

A former MrBeast executive says she faced years of harassment, worked through labor in her hospital bed, and was fired three weeks after returning from maternity leave.

Meanwhile, in January, the EEOC rescinded its entire 2024 workplace harassment guidance — skipping any public comment period — and Congress is poised to cut nearly $55 million from the EEOC's budget while workplace harassment charges continue in the tens of thousands.

Women keep this country running, but speaking up about workplace harassment can still mean losing hours or losing your job. We’ll hold our leaders accountable.

A former Beast Industries employee is suing MrBeast’s media production company after she was allegedly fired from her social media manager job upon returning from maternity leave and following years of what she described as sexual harassment and workplace gender bias

05/05/2026

Virginia and Governor Spanberger made history recently as VA became the first Southern State to enact paid family and medical leave, so that workers will be able to take the time they need to care for themselves and their loved ones.

But now, we need the Governor to sign paid sick time for basic, shorter-term health needs into law. Virginians, take action and tell the Governor to sign HB5/SB199 without delay:

Please encourage Governor Spanberger to sign the Paid Sick Days bill that was sent back to her desk by the General Assembly.

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http://www.abetterbalance.org/

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