While the first few months of a child’s life is supposed to be a fun and exciting time for a mother, for one Lane teacher it has been laced with stress over the growing maternity leave problem in America.

According to United Nations’ International Labour Organization, the United States is the only industrialized country in the world that does not offer paid maternity leave. Out of the 185 countries in the world, the United States is one of two that does not offer the paid services to non-federal employees.

In a situation closer to home, the CPS contract –set to expire this year – enables mothers to take a year off from work while still maintaining job security. Six weeks out of the year is paid.

Ms. Preciado – a Spanish teacher at Lane – took the 2014-2015 school year off to take care of her son.

“It was difficult. After the paid six weeks, I was receiving no source of income and my husband and I struggled,” Preciado said.

As Preciado was looking into her options of either staying home with her son or using child care services, she was shocked at the prices some daycares were listing.

“Depending on where you go and how many hours a day, when I was looking for day cares some were charging 400-500 dollars a week. A week. I wanted to cry. I can’t do that. So what do you choose, come back to work, spend half your salary on childcare but at least you have some money or do you stay home and have no money but you’re still with your kid,” Preciado said.

With no source of income after the six weeks and with a pressing dilemma, Preciado decided to stay home with her child. “It is unbelievable,” Preciado said, “mothers have to be stressed out about taking care of a kid and worrying about money because this country we live in.”

While Preciado was on maternity leave she made sure she did not have to stress about her classes; she left with a year long substitute in place.

“I am super organized. When I left I left everything organized. My concern for my sub and for my students was that they learned the material they had to learn. I am blessed the sub did her job. I guided her, I told her this is what they need to learn and she reciprocated,” Preciado said.
Preciado left her students with an a preplanned substitute. Other students were not treated with the same privilege.

Karolina Rak, Div. 768 , had “about five substitutes” when her chemistry teachers left last school year.

“It certainly was difficult. We had to try way harder than other chemistry classes did. When one substitute would leave and another would come in there was a transition period. Sometimes the class fell behind,” Rak said.

The class, Rak said, did make her a better student. She had to learn how to adapt to different teaching styles.

Rak was not shocked when she found out that the United States did not offer a paid maternity leave. She said it is just the country we live in.

“As a woman, of course I believe that we should have at least something. Nothing too long like Poland or other countries, but something. It kinda makes you a little bit angry,” Rak said.

Anger is an emotion Preciado is familiar with when dealing with maternity leave.

“It infuriates me is that we do clearly spend things on other things. There are so many other forms of spending that I just can’t justify all this other spending when we can’t even afford as a country to pay a mother – the woman who gave birth to a child – to stay home. And we aren’t even as asking for all these extra perks. Pay us the basics. Pay us at least three months,” Preciado said.

According to the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, the United States spends $610 billion on the military, more than China, Russia, France, India, The United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia and Germany combined. The Office of Management and Budget said the six weeks of paid parental leave costs $250 million annually.

The extra perks Preciado was talking about – in Sweden a mother is allowed to take 420 days off – more than a year – and receive 80 percent of paid wages, according to The Atlantic. Serbia offers 52 weeks and 100 percent of paid wages. France even offers to send a nurse home with mothers for free.

And the United States is the only country in the Western Hemisphere that does not have a national policy requiring states to offer paid maternity leave.

“I don’t know when this will change. I am hoping it will change.” Preciado said.

There have been some talks. President Obama in 2015 signed The Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act which allows federal workers to take six paid weeks off of work to care for a child.

While it is a small step, Preciado is happy that it is a topic of discussion.

“At least they’re talking about it. a few years ago this wouldn’t even be on the table. Now the issue is being brought to light. There are a lot of woman in congress and in politicians role who are the forefront who can tell people ‘hey I just had a baby and now I have to go back to work,’” Preciado said.

Preciado’s husband works as a police officer and with no money coming in from her side, things got difficult. She wants to expand her family one day. But she worries that the financial situation will stop her.

“Would I do it again? I don’t think so. It was too stressful for me financially. My husband and I just bought a house and we have a huge mortgage to pay and if we were to have another child I would have to come back after three months and only get paid six weeks because we wouldn’t being able to afford it,” Preciado said.

“I hope something happens soon. I hope it gets better,” Preciado said.