Imagine this: Your parents or even your best friend can officially take paid parental leave to care for your baby, Which is now a reality in Sweden. As of July 2024, the Swedish government allows parents to transfer up to 45 days of payments from their paid leave benefits to non-legal guardians, like grandparents, friends, or even retirees. For single parents, the transfer extends up to 90 days. This policy allows families to build the support systems they desperately need, empowering parents to thrive at home and work.
And here’s the kicker: the compensation structure ensures that even retired family members can take paid leave without risking their pension income—all while supporting new moms. Sweden has once again proven that raising children isn’t just a family affair—it’s a societal responsibility.
Where’s our village, America?
Meanwhile, the United States—with more wealth and resources than Sweden—offers… well, not much at all. The U.S. remains the only developed country without guaranteed paid parental leave for all parents. We know the postpartum period is overwhelming even with support but without it? It can feel impossible.
PL+US, an organization advocating for paid leave for all American families, notes that one in four mothers returned to work within six weeks of giving birth. This is inhumane. And nearly half of mothers (45%) told Motherly that if they had more flexibility, they would be more likely to stay in their jobs after becoming mothers. Our system doesn’t set parents up for success—it forces them to survive without the support they need.
We need the whole village to show up for mothers
Sweden’s new policy reflects something we desperately need to adopt here in the U.S.: the belief that raising children isn’t just a mother’s job. Families need support—and often, that support comes from corporations, the government, grandparents, friends, and even extended family stepping in.
The truth is that mothers thrive when they have a village around them. When we empower mothers, we empower families, and when families thrive, communities thrive, too. But empowering mothers requires more than inspiration. It requires tangible public policy that invests in families.
This isn’t just about fairness; it’s about recognizing that childcare and caregiving are essential infrastructure. While too many policymakers see policies like paid leave and affordable childcare as purely “expenses,” they are so much more. Policies that help new families thrive are investments in the physical, mental, social, and economic health of that family and the country at large. It’s not pure cost; there is a massive long-term benefit.
Sweden’s policy acknowledges that mothers shouldn’t have to do it all alone. It gives them the freedom to return to work (if they want to) or take a break without worrying that everything will fall apart. This flexibility provides the space to thrive, benefiting the whole family.
America needs to step up
Sweden’s move isn’t just groundbreaking—it’s necessary. If we want to truly support mothers in the U.S., we need to follow their lead. Paid leave should be available to 1. ALL NEW MOMS, 2. ALL PARTNERS, and 3. ANYONE NEEDED in that family’s support circle, just like Sweden. It’s time to stop seeing caregiving as a private burden and treat it as a collective responsibility. We need policies that make it easier for the whole village to show up.
Here’s the reality: Families shouldn’t have to choose between working and surviving or between making ends meet and supporting each other. When grandparents or close friends are ready and willing to help, we need to make it easier for them to step up—not harder.
Sweden’s new law reminds us that there’s another way forward—a way that acknowledges the value of caregiving and offers families true flexibility. And it’s precisely the kind of change we need here in the U.S. We shouldn’t have to cross oceans to find family-friendly policies that work.
It’s time to build the village mothers deserve—right here at home.
