After nearly two years of the pandemic, the US government still does not have a strong coordinated response to the prospect of variant surges, leaving Americans in binds every time a wave hits. Although the current Omicron wave appears to be cresting in many parts of the country, the fact remains that there will likely be more waves in future months, many of which will deeply affect parents and other caregivers.
As is argued in a recent Fast Money article, the federal government should strongly consider instituting “paid pandemic leave” to alleviate some of the pressure that parents experience when schools suddenly close or go virtual as teachers and students fall ill with the virus.
Such measures were put into place as part of the Trump administration’s FFCRA emergency response when the pandemic first hit, but Congress allowed them to expire at the end of 2020, leaving in place only some tax credits, which means more paperwork for the already overworked. The FFCRA measures provided paid sick leave and paid family leave mandates, which, while not perfect solutions, gave parents and caregivers some extra leeway when trying to do what was best for themselves and their families or loved ones.
As with many aspects of US life, the pandemic merely accentuated festering issues that have plagued the US social safety net for decades as successive administrations have whittled away at programs like welfare and food stamps, and have dragged their feet on universal childcare and paid leave for maternity or medical issues.
