Caring for patients at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital for the past 15 years, I’ve witnessed firsthand over and over again why our county desperately needs paid parental leave. Many women are forced to return to work too soon after they give birth, causing health problems for both them and their babies that sometimes mean readmission to our hospital. Dads and moms express anxiety — especially nowadays with the rising cost of living — about how they will make ends meet while taking care of their newborns. And among my co-workers, who are majority women, I’ve seen the loss of dedicated staff due to a lack of adequate leave.

I’ve also experienced the need for parental leave on a deeply personal level. I struggled with infertility, and my husband and I made the decision to have our daughter through surrogacy. From UPMC, the largest employer and women’s healthcare provider in our region, I only received two weeks of fully paid leave. Going unpaid for many weeks, while trying to take care of and bond with my new baby, was a financial burden on our family.

These experiences have fueled my passion for the paid parental leave policy which the Allegheny County Council is about to vote on.

For months, thousands of Allegheny County residents have participated in sharing their voices and shaping the policy. Community members have told highly personal stories like mine. Family health advocates have presented mountains of evidence showing just how important paid parental leave is for the health of babies and parents. Stakeholders have had many opportunities to weigh in, including small business owners and a broad range of community members.

Paid parental leave is undeniably popular among county residents regardless of political affiliation. Of the many people who offered comments on this proposal, two-thirds supported paid parental leave. In a poll conducted by our union, 84% of county voters support parental leave, with strong majorities among independents, Republicans and Democrats.

The county has listened to all these voices in a thorough, thoughtful and fair process, and has made very reasonable compromises. The revised policy would require employers with 15 or more employees to provide 12 weeks of paid parental leave. It’s important to note that 12 weeks is the minimum amount of leave endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics in order to reduce infant deaths and maternal health complications. The academy set this standard based on clinical studies that prove paid leave promotes the physical and mental health of parents and children. This is especially important in Allegheny County, which is facing an infant and maternal health crisis.

Studies have also shown that paid leave helps employers recruit and retain workers and strengthens local economies. Providing parental leave is certainly well within the capabilities of mid-to-large size companies. Just look at my employer, UPMC, which had total profits of over $443 million in the first half of this year alone. Those profits should be invested in supporting their frontline healthcare workforce so we can provide quality care to Allegheny families.

With inflation up over 26% in the past five years — and working people struggling with skyrocketing costs for gas, groceries, housing, healthcare and utilities — paid parental leave has become even more critical. No mom or dad should ever have to make the gut wrenching decision between caring for their new baby and losing their paychecks.

The hearings, policy work, and public comment are coming to an end, and now is the time for courageous leadership from our County Council. Since the beginning, nurses have been at the forefront of advocating for this policy through our union, because we experience the impact that the lack of paid leave has had on our patients and profession. We have worked alongside our community, health advocates and elected leaders like County Executive Sara Innamorato to arrive at this moment.

Allegheny County has the chance to become a national leader in what is both morally right and medically needed to help protect infants and ensure all working families can thrive. I urge every council member to seize this historic opportunity before us and vote yes for parental leave.

Erica Winger is a nurse practitioner who has worked at Magee-Womens Hospital for over 15 years and is a member of her union, SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania.