NEW YORK (WCBS 880) — An assemblywoman on Long Island wants to alter the Family Leave Act to include time off to support remote learning amid the pandemic.
The hybrid and remote learning models that schools all over the state are using are not easy, nor are they cheap, and some parents are being forced to pay hundreds of dollars per week for child care so that their children can stay home to do school work.
Parents say the costs are mounting, but many cannot afford to stay at home with their children all day.
Some have taken to having older children care for their younger siblings so that parents can go to work during the day, but experts say that puts additional stress on older kids.
To solve the issues, Assemblywoman Michaelle Solange has created a bill that would allow parents in New York State to take paid time off from work to assist with their children’s remote learning needs.
She hopes to expand on the state’s Family Leave Act which already helps people take off from work to care for loved ones in need.
“(It) allows parents to take out 480 hours which is twelve weeks of family leave at two-thirds of their average weekly wage,” Solange said of the act.
She says if your child goes to school two or three days a week, then the parent can take off those days and work the other days.
“We wanna make sure that we can accommodate parents. In order for us to go on the path of recovery, we have to ensure that parents' jobs are protected,” the assemblywoman said. “So whatever your learning situation is for your child without having to worry about losing your job.”
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