1. Federal Family and Medical Leave Act:
U.S. Department of Labor Issues “Request for Information”

On December 1, 2006, the Department of Labor (DOL) issued a "Request for Information" on the FMLA. The Request for Information is concerning for those of us working to ensure America's workplaces become more family-friendly—and to avoid endangering the rights workers currently have. The public has until Feb. 2, 2006 to provide comments to the DOL illustrating that the FMLA is a real success story.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) transformed the workplace and strengthened the American family by helping millions of Americans secure job-protected leave in certain times of need to balance work and family responsibilities. Working Americans need the Department of Labor and Congress to provide more family-friendly policies— such as expanding the FMLA to cover more workers and establishing paid family and medical leave, and ensuring a minimum standard of paid sick days, available to all—not undermine these critical protections.

As a nation, we can do a better job of helping our families be responsible employees and parents. The National Partnership for Women & Families will continue our efforts to ensure that the FMLA remains a workplace protection for working Americans. Please share your FMLA story and urge the DOL to expand, not roll back, the law.

Information on the Comment Process:

The U.S. Department of Labor has issued a 'Request for Information' on the FMLA, requesting a broad range of information about employer and employee experience with the FMLA.

An honest and objective review of this experience will only reinforce the importance of this law and the need to expand, not contract, the protections the FMLA affords working families. Now we have to do our part to ensure that the Administration knows that the public supports the FMLA, and does not support any attempts to scale it back.

What you can do:

Submit your comments in support of the FMLA, including your experience with the FMLA, to the Department of Labor by the February 2, 2007 deadline. Email comments to whdcomments@ dol.gov or address written submissions to:

Richard M. Brennan
Senior Regulatory Officer, Wage and Hour Division
Employment Standards Administration
U.S. Department of Labor
Room S-3502, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20210.

Comments of 20 pages or fewer may also be submitted by fax to (202) 693-1432.

2. Lifespan Respite Act Signed Into Law by President Bush

The new federal law would authorize $289 million over five years for state grants to develop Lifespan Respite Programs to help families access quality, affordable respite care. Lifespan respite programs are defined in the Act “as coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs.” Specifically, the law authorizes funds for:

• development of state and local lifespan respite programs;
• planned or emergency respite care services;
• training and recruitment of respite care workers and volunteers; and
• caregiver training.

When the bill passed the House, Rep. Ferguson, whose own father was a caregiver for his ill mother for 6 years said, “Today’s action by the House of Representatives represents not only an important victory for family caregivers nationwide, but it also sends America’s caregivers a clear message: Your selfless sacrifice is appreciated, and help is on the way.”

“On behalf of over nation’s family caregivers who desire to keep their loved ones at home despite limited support, we commend Rep. Ferguson, Vice-chair of the Health Subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Langevin, and Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Senator Warner (R-VA) for their leadership, and especially want to thank them, their colleagues from both sides of the aisle, and the White House for taking action to help the burgeoning numbers of family caregivers,” said Jill Kagan, Chair of the National Respite Coalition, and facilitator of the Lifespan Respite Task Force. “Relatively minimal investments in respite help family caregivers provide this care at home and in the community. At a time when federal and state fiscal resources are limited, this is the most compassionate and fiscally responsible thing we can do, and a most welcome gift in this holiday season.”

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What do you think? Take a moment now to send us an email with your opinion and we will publish your thoughts in the next issue.

John Paul Marosy
Editor and President,
Bringing Elder Care Home, LLC

John Paul Marosy is the author of Elder Care: A Six Step Guide to Balancing Work and Family, available from Bringing Elder Care Home Publishing online at our Web site or by calling
508-854-0431.