ABSTRACT
This book cites many convincing facts and figures and offers persuasive empirical evidence about the family void in American policymaking. Yet when I describe the need for a family perspective in policymaking to my colleagues or students in my classes, I find that the most compelling examples often come from the lives of real families. For example, in the summer of 1998, two e-mail messages arrived in my inbox, both from friends who had recently given birthone in this country and one in Europe. My American friend worked at a university hospital that had more generous benefits than many U.S. employers. Yet after returning to work following a 2-month maternity leave, she was immediately placed on mandatory overtime, despite having two preschoolers at home and a husband who was working two jobs to make ends meet. This experience contrasts sharply with the experience of my Austrian friend during her pregnancy and birth. She received 16 weeks of leave during which she was forbidden to work; if found doing so, she could have been fined. Following maternity leave, she was eligible for an additional 18 months of parental leave.
