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SALT LAKE CITY — Just 15 percent of American dads have access to paid paternity leave — leaving many without the option to spend time at home with their newborn babies.
One company wants to change that standard, one dad at a time.
Dove Men + Care recently launched its $1 million Paternity Leave Fund, offering individual $5,000 grants over the next two years to dads who wouldn't otherwise get the chance to bond with their babies after birth.
"Working dads shouldn't have to choose between their children and a paycheck — because when they take paternity leave, it benefits families, workplaces and communities," Dove's website reads.
Paternity leave in the United States is relatively rare, and even when its offered, fathers don't feel they can take the full time allotted, according to a report by the Department of Labor.
Additionally, 70 percent of dads take 10 days off or less, despite mounting research that shows the long-term benefits of father-child bonding from the start.
The DOL study revealed that working fathers who took more than two weeks of leave were far more likely to be changing diapers, feeding and getting up with the baby nine months after the birth.
"This hands-on engagement can set a pattern that lasts long after the leave ends," the report reads.
Dads interested in receiving one of the Dove grants must fill out this application, in which they'll be asked to share why the money would help them and their family, what being a caring dad means to them, what barriers stand in the way of them taking time off after baby and what they wish society knew about the importance of fatherhood.
Only 15% of dads in the U.S. have paid leave to bond with their newborn. Let’s change that. Join us and @alexisohanian in signing the Pledge. #PaternityLeavePledgehttps://t.co/1xbf8bShIDpic.twitter.com/5GkpMy69L6
— Dove Men+Care (@DoveMenCare) February 19, 2019
Hopefuls will also be required to sign the company's Pledge for Paternity Leave. The pledge asks expectant working fathers to commit to taking their full leave. It also encourages business leaders and allies to support policies that would ultimately make paid paternity leave the standard practice in the U.S.
Currently, just four states — California, New Jersey, New York and Rhode Island — offer paid, tax-funded paternity leave, according to the DOL.
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