Testimony: Fatherly to House Ways & Means Committee on Paid Leave

In the early afternoon hours of Thursday, May 27, 2021, Fatherly’s co-founder, Mike Rothman, testified to the House Ways & Means Committee in support of a fully inclusive, gender-neutral, paid, federal family and medical leave program. It was a big moment for Fatherly — but more importantly, for workers and families. Fatherly’s mission statement is to provide dads, who are traditionally underserved in mainstream media, with the expert guidance, resources, and sounding board that they need to thrive as active caregivers and at times primary parents. And part of that expert guidance has been the continued reporting on the importance of federal paid leave. Federal paid leave, and paid leave in general, is good for big businesses, small businesses, good for families, and good for employees themselves. It’s good for relationships with children and with spouses, and it’s practically irrational that the United States stands alone in wealthy nations in not providing even several weeks of it to its workforce, despite the noted public health, economic, and personal benefits. Below is our written testimony. COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS WORKER FAMILY SUPPORT SUBCOMMITTEE LEGISLATIVE HEARING ON UNIVERSAL PAID FAMILY LEAVE AND GUARANTEED ACCESS TO CHILD CARE TESTIMONY OF MICHAEL ROTHMAN CO-FOUNDER, FATHERLY My name is Michael Rothman and I’m the co-founder and CEO of Fatherly, a digital media platform with a mission to empower men to raise great kids and lead more fulfilling adult lives…