LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The City of Louisville is seeing benefits from its paid parental leave policy, which allows Metro Government employees to take 12 weeks off if they welcome a new child through birth or adoption.
What You Need To Know
- Louisville Metro Government's parental leave policy went into effect in 2021
- It has benefited employees such as Matt Vanderpool, who welcomed his fifth child to his family nearly a year ago
- According to a recent report, the policy has benefited the child's health along with employees' mental health
- Senate Bill 142 would allow Kentucky workers 12 weeks of paid leave statewide
Around a year ago, Matt Vanderpool and his wife added their fifth child to the family. After his wife went back to work, he was able to spend 12 weeks with his newborn.
Before this policy, which went into place in 2021, employees only received unpaid leave.
“I was spending time at home with her, and I was completely involved because I had to be," Vanderpool said. "But I really enjoyed that time."
Vanderpool is an environmental health specialist for the Department of Public Health and Wellness. He said parental leave has helped reduce the number of times his infant got ill.
“Those common sniffles and sneezes and fevers and things that the babies get just from being around other kids, that was one of those things that we were able to push off for a while," he said.
Vanderpool is not alone, according to a recent report analyzing Louisville Metro's policy.
The study shows 84% of employees strongly agreed the leave benefits the child’s health while 83% strongly agreed with the benefits of mental health.
"I've had to C-sections; it takes six weeks just to heal from those surgeries," said Gretchen Hunt, director of Louisville Metro Office for Women. "They'll have that time, and they won't have to expand their sick [leave] and vacation."
Hunt said both parents working to make family decisions, running errands and dropping off kids allows the birth parent to also focus on their career, which can increase the household income.
“Small investment on the front end that you wouldn't think about has major implications for the health, well-being and gender equity," she said.
The additional time Vanderpool spent with his daughter was important to him, he said.
“I was actively participating in those very formative early weeks of going from just a brand new infant into her starting to experience the world a little bit differently," he said.
Employees also found the 12-week leave helped support birth parent recovery, reduced stress and financial stability.
On a statewide level, Senate Bill 142 would allow Kentucky workers 12 weeks of paid leave. It was introduced in January but has not yet passed a committee.