California Bill Encourages Parents To Spend More Time With Kids

To encourage parents to get involve in their kids' school activities, a bill has been proposed to give parents three paid days off. This will give parents a chance to make an easier decision between work and their kids' education.

According to KTLA, parents often face the dilemma of choosing between work and participating in their kids' activities in school. California's "Family-School and Partnership Act" currently provides five days of unpaid leaves to parents, grandparents and guardians without compromising their jobs. These unpaid day offs can be used in cases of emergencies or school-related activities. However, under AB 2405, the new proposed bill, parents and guardians can be paid three of these five days.

The bill was proposed by Assemblyman Mike Gatto last Thursday. In his press release, Gatto explains that a parent's involvement in his or her child's education should not be hindered by the family income. He further supported his point, saying, "It shouldn't come down to a choice between meeting with a teacher or volunteering in the classroom, versus paying the bills."

In his proposal, Gatto explained that a child performs better in school with the involvement of their parents. More so, children were found to have few disciplinary cases. "Studies show that this greatly improves your child's educational chances in life", he explained to ABC 13.

KTLA added that less than a quarter of parents with annual income less than $30,000 find themselves very active in their kids' educations. Lack of time and economic capacity mostly hold back parents from getting involved in their school activities. With the new bill, parents would be more engaged in the educational process and the school community, Gatto says.

However, Gatto already expects opposition from various businesses citing that they cannot afford to give their employees added paid time offs. The bill is currently in the committee process before it gets introduced to the state senate for a vote in.

It is important to note that companies with 25 or lesser employees are exempted from the bill. To know why its important to get involved in your kids' education, check out the video below: