Instead of one-time payouts like the Trump baby bonus, real support for families starts with paid paternity leave that empowers fathers, supports mothers, and promotes gender equality at home and at work.
One week after returning to work from his paternity leave, my spouse was laid off, losing a steady income and health benefits to support our growing family.
Unlike many other developed countries, where paid paternity leave is a standard part of parental rights, American fathers are often left to navigate this critical time without guaranteed support and job protection, putting families at a disadvantage.
This is precisely why the Trump administration’s $5,000 baby bonus is so out of touch. Telling American couples to have more babies because of the bonus won’t spark a baby boom. Because clearly, a one-time bonus is all it takes to solve true financial and emotional demands of parenthood …
Paid paternity leave is a far more effective solution than the baby bonus. It strengthens fathers’ mental health, deepens their bond with both their newborn and their partner, and relieves the heavy childcare burden placed on mothers. More importantly, it challenges outdated gender roles by normalizing and redefining fatherhood.
In the critical early days of parenthood, the support fathers provide can make all the difference. Researchers acknowledged that paternity leave gives fathers the opportunity to bond with their newborns, support their partners and manage stress, all vital for maintaining their mental health.
Meanwhile, the baby bonus does the opposite—it pushes fathers to cut their paternity leave short and rush back to work, as if a one-time payment outweighs the most critical moments of their child’s life. Without any comprehensive support like paid paternity leave, the baby bonus is nothing more than a political headline, failing to create lasting positive impact on American families.
The day I was discharged from the hospital after giving birth was not the start of my recovery. I ended up in pain and had no choice but to return to the emergency room. With my spouse by my side, I was readmitted for treatment and diagnosed with an epidural headache and induced hematoma.
As I fought through my challenging moments, my spouse not only advocated for my care but also stepped up at home—caring for our newborn, who was recovering from jaundice. Because he had paternity leave, he could be there for both of us, giving me the time and space to heal, physically and mentally.
Three months later, I returned to work not depleted but ready. Paternity leave is a lifeline, which gave me the ability to thrive again as a professional and a parent. The baby bonus, in comparison, does nothing to address these critical needs, offering little more than a temporary financial ‘gesture’ that fails to support the real challenges of parenthood.
Paid paternity leave is not just about giving time off for the fathers but is a step toward denormalizing ‘traditional’ gender roles in childcare. Countless studies proven that paid paternity leave can help reduce sexist attitudes and gender biases. Numerous celebrities have also taken to social media to advocate for equal and paid paternity leave policies, urging workplaces to recognize the vital role fathers play in caregiving.
Only when paid paternity leave is fully embraced—both by workplaces and societies—can women have the freedom to pursue their careers without being forced to choose between professional growth and childcare responsibilities.
It has been eight long months since my spouse received the devastating news of being laid off.
Where does the Trump administration stand on paid parental leave? It’s unclear.
At the vice presidential debates in October, where JD Vance was asked about where he stood on paid leave and childcare, he acknowledged that so many young families struggled with balancing work and childcare commitments, but didn’t make any paid leave promises. He said, “We should have a family care model that makes choice possible.”
For his vision to truly succeed and for our nation to thrive and make American workforce built for new moms and dads, paid paternity leave is a long-overdue policy—one that enables fathers to actively participate in caregiving and gives mothers the freedom to pursue their careers without sacrificing their well-being or professional growth.
Editor’s note: The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides certain employees with up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year. Under the FMLA, if a company provides paid parental leave for female employees, they are legally required to offer the same benefit to male employees.
