Dear supporters - an invitation to share, consider and encourage others:

Paid parental leave is a broad community issue – it affects us all.  I reiterate the invitation to think – and act - about it.  This is for PWS staff, parents, partners, friends and community - here's why:

Paid Parental Leave (PPL) plays directly into the amount of time a mother may take after birth to care for her child(ren), the amount of time a father may take to care for his child(ren) and/or the mother.  Before all that, however, PPL also contributes to considerations as to whether a child will even make it into the world or not – economic considerations of having children are very real and it’s reported between 26-40% of pregnancies in Australia are not planned (so let’s end the “she should save for it” argument please).  PPL affects the stress levels, sense of support, wellbeing of families and the entire community atmosphere.  It affects whether grandparents and siblings are made, and how families manage through the momentous changes entailed with welcoming a new human to the world.  It affects the level of stability and housing options of families and children.  It is a community issue centered around the well-being of women and children.  Many gains have been made in this area over recent decades, as there’s well established benefit not only for those directly affected, but also for future wellbeing of the whole community.  

PWS meets award requirements for Independent schools (and far exceeds them in other areas, thankfully): 12 months unpaid leave.  The Government PPL program is of course still available, as it is for most workers: 18 weeks at minimum wage, with that soon going up and super being added.  Yet that’s still far behind Public and Catholic Ed, other Independent schools in WA, and many other professional fields.  It simply isn’t a priority (yet).  This is an issue which directly affects so few people any given time – so there’s little incentive for a mass union movement on it, and hence the attempt at this petition to get the support showing in numbers.  

Sign – and ask others to join you - to ask Perth Waldorf School Council to make PPL a priority, to care in deed and dollars for the women, children and families contributing so much to our world.