FAMILY VALUES AND VALUING FAMILY - A BLUEPRINT FOR FAMILY LEAVE

In the spring of 1989, the Harvard Journal on Legislation sponsored a symposium on legislative approaches to work and the family. Scholars a nd political figures from across the country gathered to discuss famil ies, child care, and the government's role in easing the conflict betw een work and family. As part of that conference, the author used the e xamples of Sweden and France to present a comparative analysis of fami ly-support policies from an international perspective. Four years late r, Professor Dowd now revisits the subject of family leave, but on the domestic level. The transition to a Democratic administration has alr eady brought changes to federal policy in this area. In this Article, she combines a history of family-leave legislation with a vision for t he future. Although the new family-leave legislation is a positive ste p, she argues that a comprehensive family policy must include more tha n just parental leave. To that end, she provides insights and suggesti ons for how to craft a family policy that responds to the nation's nee ds.