Another Mother’s Day has come and gone, and once again too many Pennsylvania families marked it with gratitude for the mothers in their lives–and frustration at what our state still fails to provide.

As the sponsors of the Pennsylvania Family Care Act, we introduced this legislation because we have seen firsthand what it means when a family life collides with a paycheck. In our districts, we hear from workers who are doing everything “right” and still facing impossible choices when illness, childbirth, or caregiving needs arise. These are families trying to hold it all together, often without the support they need when life doesn’t go as planned.

The Family Care Act would establish a statewide paid family and medical leave program that allows workers to take paid time away from their jobs to care for a newborn or newly adopted child, recover from a serious illness, support a family member with a medical condition, or respond to other caregiving responsibilities. It is a commonsense solution designed to reflect how families actually live and work today–not how workplace policy assumed they would decades ago.

While the Family Care Act recently advanced out of the House, there is still work to do to make a comprehensive statewide paid family and medical leave program a reality for Pennsylvanians. Too many workers here are left with no paid leave at all, or are forced to rely on unpaid time off they simply cannot afford. That gap shows up in real ways: delayed medical care, parents returning to work before they are ready, and families pushed into financial insecurity during moments that are already overwhelming.

Other states are moving forward. Virginia, for example, is moving ahead with implementing paid family and medical leave, recognizing a basic truth families already know well: Caregiving is essential, and income should not disappear when life becomes complicated or crisis strikes.

We often say we value families in Pennsylvania, but Pennsylvania is now one of the last states in the region without a statewide paid family and medical leave program. Advancing the Family Care Act would demonstrate a commitment to prioritizing Pennsylvania’s families and recognizing caregiving as essential to the health and stability of our communities.

At its core, moving this policy forward is about shared values like supporting families during life’s most demanding moments and recognizing that when caregivers can care without financial fear, everyone benefits. When families are stable, workers can stay engaged, kids are healthier, and communities are stronger.

Too often, paid leave is framed narrowly as a policy for new parents. That framing misses the reality families are living every day. It is the worker who suddenly becomes a caregiver for an aging parent after a fall. It is the patient undergoing cancer treatment who needs time to recover without risking their job. It is the parent supporting a child with a disability, or the family member caring for a loved one at the end of their life. These are not rare or hypothetical situations–they are part of life for countless families across our state.

These moments do not come with advance notice or financial preparation. They arrive suddenly, and when they do, families are forced into a choice between caring for the people they love and maintaining the income they rely on to get by.

The Family Care Act is designed to remove that impossible choice by creating a statewide program that allows workers to take paid leave when they need it most. It supports workers, strengthens families, and helps employers retain experienced employees instead of losing them during moments of crisis. States that have implemented similar programs report benefits ranging from stronger workforce participation to improved health outcomes and greater economic stability.

On Mother’s Day, we honor the strength, labor, and love of mothers across our state. But honoring them cannot stop at words. It must show up in concrete action that makes caregiving possible without financial devastation.

We cannot let another Mother’s Day pass in Pennsylvania while families are still waiting for paid leave. Now is the time to pass the Family Care Act.

State Rep. Jennifer O’Mara represents the 165th District in Delaware County. State Sen. Maria Collett represents the 12th District in Montgomery County.