In August 2023, Count on Mothers examined mothers' views on the FAMILY Act (S.1714), federal legislation establishing a national paid family and medical leave program. Drawing on mothers across regions and the political spectrum, the survey captured firsthand experience with health, caregiving, and work-related leave. Mothers showed strong cross-partisan agreement on core paid leave protections — including up to 12 weeks of paid leave, job-return guarantees, and partial wage replacement — with more varied views on specific implementation provisions. The aggregated findings were shared with the public and Congressional legislators to inform deliberations on paid leave policy.
Related themes:
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Broad cross-partisan input: The survey reflects the perspectives of mothers from 41 states and across the political spectrum, providing a diverse national view on paid family and medical leave.
Strong agreement on core paid leave protections: Mothers across ideologies overwhelmingly agreed that employees should have access to up to 12 weeks of paid leave for health, caregiving, or military-related reasons.
Consensus on job protection: Mothers agreed that employees who have worked at the same job for more than 90 days should be able to return to their positions after paid leave without employer retaliation.
Support for partial wage replacement: Mothers across political backgrounds supported paid leave that replaces up to two-thirds of regular wages for full-time employees.
Broad support across employment types, with some variation: A majority of mothers supported providing paid leave regardless of company size, employment status, or self-employment, though support was lower among very conservative mothers compared with conservative mothers.
Source: Count on Mothers, Mothers' Views on the FAMILY Act, August 2023. Community panel survey of U.S. mothers, n=309. Research led by a PhD-credentialed researcher.
Explore Count on Mothers reports — rapid polls and in-depth national studies.
Methodology Count on Mothers conducts nationally representative research with U.S. mothers, weighted to reflect the population and reported in aggregate. Research is led by a PhD + MPH team. Findings have informed policy, industry, and media, and entered the Congressional Record on childcare, paid leave, and technology policy.
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