I am interested in the paid family leave act because I am a public health major and this topic falls into a public health related issue. I like learning about health related topics and the paid family leave act has been a big controversial issue in the United States for the past few years. The absence of this act in the United States does not affect a specific group of people or even one sex, it effects everyone in our country. This research questions does not currently affect me directly because I am a student and am not employed but it does affect my family. My family is fostering a sick baby that we will receive in March and if the act was in place my mother would be able to take a paid leave off of work to care for the child. We do not have this act though so my mother cannot take time off of work to bond with the baby and help her get settled into a new environment unless she wants to lose her income. Many new mothers face this difficult problem whether they are fostering, adopting, or having a child of their own. 

The first article I found was "Paid leave benefits children and families" written by Jen Christensen and Kelley Wallace writers for CNN. The article talks about the benefits a paid maternity leave can have based on research done in numerous countries that offer paid maternity leave. Benefits for the mother include reducing post-partum depression, allows mothers to breastfeed for longer periods of time, and bonding with the newborn. Having a paid leave is shown to reduce the risk of infant mortality by 10%, and the newborn is more likely to receive vaccinations. The newborn is also healthier when allowed to breastfeed for a longer period of time. The article emphasizes that we are the only industrialized country that does not give women the right to a paid maternity leave and that it is affecting our country as a whole. It also acknowledges that there should be a cap for the amount of time given for paid leave that is supported by research done in other countries. The article was posted by CNN, a news channel that also leads in online news. This is a credible and known source and the author is supporting the idea that the United States is in need of a paid maternity leave (Paid Family Leave Act). One of the authors is a credible editor that has been covering major women's issues at CNN for many years.

The next article "Paid Family and Medical Leave" was published by the United Sates Government. The article is saying that as a nation we may be wealthy but as individuals we are lacking many basic necessities such as paid family leave. A paid maternity leave would help mothers, children, the economy, and fathers with bonding with their babies. Currently only 12% of Americans have access to a paid leave even though the leave would create many positive outcomes. The article is interested in pushing forward to obtain a paid leave and discusses the new budget for 2016 that is supposed to encourage states to adopt the paid leave act. The information was posted by our government so it is a credible source because of the information they are able to access and obtain. The article is in favor of having a Paid Family leave act but remains factual and credible. 

The third article I found was posted by The Week Magazine. It talks about how we are just starting to make progress towards putting a paid leave act in place. The United States currently has three states that have mandated paid leave for new mothers and for family emergencies. The Democratic Party starting pushing for 12 weeks of paid leave paid for by the individual companies and its employers. The article values paid leave and mentions how after almost 6 years Obama has not passed a bill or made progress on this issue. The article is pushing for a bill to be passed or action to be taken but notes that political figures are not putting it as a top priority at the current time. The magazine that posted this posts about current events but from different viewpoints. That means the article is credible but may not be as credible as a newspaper or academic journal.  

The research question I have chosen is debatable because it is not a question you could answer with a simple "yes" or "no". It is an open ended question on why we need a paid family leave act so that mothers can have a paid maternity leave. One can even respond to the question that we do not need this act and explain why. Most sources that I have found online all agree that we need some type of act put in place for mothers to have a paid leave. They all agree that we are the only industrialized country without this and that it is clearly a problem that it is becoming more urgent. After reading about the topic from different perspectives it made me question one of my perspectives on who should be responsible for setting up this act. Should it be a nationwide problem or should it be left to each individual state to fix at their own pace? 

