Governor Kathy Hochul expands paid family leave for prenatal care

ROCHESTER N.Y. (WROC) — Governor Kathy Hochul expand Family Paid Leave policy to include 40 hours of paid leave to attend prenatal care appointments.

Marielena Vélez De Brown, who is the acting commissioner with the Monroe County Department of Public Health says the expansion of paid family leave to include prenatal care could go a long way towards addressing disparities that exist in maternal health outcomes.

“In Monroe County we have a higher rate of maternal mortality so that’s defined as a woman dying during pregnancy or within the first year of giving birth due to a condition related to that pregnancy and so the Monroe County mortality rate is higher than other rates across the state and across the nation,” she said.

She says black and brown women specifically are impacted and its due to social drivers like women of color going into prenatal care much later than their white counter parts.

With early access to prenatal care, She says it provides enough time for mothers to be screened for sexually transmitted infections before the fetus is impacted.

“We don’t have to have any more children born with congenital malformations and we shouldn’t really be seeing miscarriages due to congenital syphilis but that’s the reality. We are seeing that happen today in Monroe County. Syphilis is still a problem,” she said.

This is expansion also allows access to doula care. Doula Program Manager at Healthy Baby Network, Jacqueline Lindsey, provides perspective of mothers she’s worked with firsthand.

“If I have to work and my job is not going to allow me off because of the type of field that I’m in, I’m not going to go to my prenatal appointment. Or if I’m not at work then I can’t make this money then how am I going to be able to pay for transportation to even get to the appointment,” said Lindsey.

we have reached out to the state Republican committee and have yet to hear back.

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