John Edwards 2004 On The Issues
John Edwards' Plan For Honoring
Working Parents
John Edwards knows that being a parent is harder than ever. Today, 70
percent of kids do not have a stay-at-home parent, and parents now have
22 hours less to spend with their children every week than they did in
1969.
While parents have responsibility for raising children, Edwards believes
the government can lend parents a hand. His proposals will help parents,
offering them an opportunity to spend more time with their children, and
helping parents instill strong values in our children.
The Edwards Plan for Honoring Working Parents
Edwards’ plan for Work and Families will:
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Give parents more choices at
work.
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Offer quality afterschool
opportunities.
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Encourage responsible parenting.
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Support parents’ values.
Give Parents More Choices At Work
Offer Family Leave Tax Credit
Building on the Family and Medical Leave Act for new parents, Edwards
has proposed a refundable family leave tax credit of up to $2,500 for
the working families of newborn children. Phased in over a period of
years, this credit will effectively provide paid leave without hurting
businesses.
Expand Family Leave
While the Family and Medical Leave Act helps many families each year, it
is too limited in its scope. Parents of newborns should be able to take
unpaid leave on a part-time basis, provided they establish a real
schedule with their businesses.
Edwards will also give parents unpaid leave for parentteacher
conferences and will guarantee unpaid leave to millions of workers at
small businesses who get nothing now.
Support Elder Care
Edwards will help the growing number of working parents who are
responsible for their own parents’ or spouses’ care by doubling federal
support for respite care and adult day
care.
Encourage Model Businesses
Many companies have proven that a business can be family-friendly and
worker-friendly and still turn a healthy profit. Edwards supports
creating a new award to recognize excellence in family-friendly
policies, as a way to encourage the business community to honor
companies that are good to their employees.
Create New Afterschool Programs
High-Quality Afterschool Programs
Children with nowhere to go are more likely to find trouble or be
victims of crime. Afterschool programs provide a safe, nourishing place
for children. Edwards supports offering quality programs to millions of
children whose parents want them. His initiative will:
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Provide opportunities at or near every
school.
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Make the opportunities high quality.
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Build on successful programs at schools
and non-profit agencies like Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCAs.
Encourage Responsible Parenting
Encourage Responsibility from Dads
While mothers receiving public assistance are required to work and get
help in finding work, fathers often get neither the help nor the
requirement.
In order to give fathers better means to support their children and to
become valued members of their family and their community, Edwards
believes we should require more
fathers to work, give them help finding work, and make sure child
support goes to the parent, and not the government.
Fight Teen Pregnancy
While the rate of teen pregnancy has dropped, there are still about half
a million teen births a year. Edwards believes we must support
successful teen pregnancy prevention
programs, and support a national media campaign against teen pregnancy.
Support Parents' Values
Fight Alcohol Industry Advertising
There are 51,000 alcohol ads on TV each year targeted to people under
21. Edwards has called on the alcohol industry to make stronger
voluntary guidelines in order to prevent targeting children.
If this does not occur, Edwards will require the industry to change its
practices.
Make the Internet Friendlier for Children
Edwards believes we must stop junk mail on the Internet, particularly
pornographic e-mail that children often receive without parents’
knowledge or approval.
Today, unscrupulous “spammers” use fake names to escape detection and
make pornography available to our children. Edwards supports a law
blocking this sort of fraud.
Encourage Community Service
Edwards will help high schools require community service as a condition
of graduation. Not all education takes place in the classroom--community
service is one of the best ways to encourage our young people to get new
experiences and become more involved in their communities.
Source: John Edwards for President 2004 Web Site
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