i want to thank the ywca for open their door to us todai __PUNCT__ i a big support of the y __PUNCT__
and i work with the ywca for mani year on issu have to do with women and girl __PUNCT__
and the crisi servic and support that is provid and particularli the tool that the y help parent acquir to rais strong healthi children __PUNCT__ and provid what i see as the villag __PUNCT__
thei ar part of villag __PUNCT__
it take a villag to rais a child __PUNCT__
and the y ha been an absolut essenti part of that villag here in manchest and beyond __PUNCT__
i want to thank monica zoloff __PUNCT__ the director of the y __PUNCT__ and her staff __PUNCT__
i want to thank my old friend senat betsei devri who ha been a strong support of the y and the work that it doe in the commun __PUNCT__
i also want to recogn tom donavan the democrat nomine for the mayor of manchest __PUNCT__
__PUNCT__ inaud __PUNCT__ i look forward to work with you and a lot of peopl ar veri excit about your campaign __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ marci stori is all too familiar __PUNCT__ you know you have to take an unpaid leav of absenc when you pregnant __PUNCT__
you have to take vacat dai to care for your sick children __PUNCT__
you stretch to the break point by the cost of rais two kid on your own __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ rais a famili in todai world is hard under ani circumst __PUNCT__
i actual think that it harder todai than when i wa a young parent __PUNCT__
there just so much go on and the cost of everyth go up __PUNCT__
and all of the incom influenc over your children you realli have no control over __PUNCT__
and do it by yourself make it more than doubli hard __PUNCT__
and so everywher i go i see the anxieti and the frustrat of famili try to strike a balanc between their oblig at home and those at work __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ from the parent of young children who ar caught at the offic or the work place long into the night __PUNCT__
to the adult children who ar both care for ag parent and rais their own children __PUNCT__
to the young women who often come up to me after i finish speak and ask how i balanc a famili and work __PUNCT__
now i been fortun to have so much support as a work mother __PUNCT__ but i understand what it mean to be pull in a million direct at onc __PUNCT__
the panic of have to get up earli to get to an appoint when your child ha a fever of __NUM__ and the child care center is close or the babysitt is sick __PUNCT__
i rememb on time i had to be in court when i wa a young lawyer __PUNCT__ chelsea wa a babi __PUNCT__ we had a woman who did come in and help me she __PUNCT__ come in earli then after that she go home __PUNCT__
chelsea wa sick and the babysitt wasn't there and then she call and she wa sick too __PUNCT__
and it wa just that gut __PUNCT__ wrench feel and i wa lucki enough to have a friend who could come over and watch chelsea while i ran to court then ran back home __PUNCT__
but i know that happen everi dai __PUNCT__
and there so mani pressur on young parent __PUNCT__
or the littl mental bell that goe off in your head at the exact moment school let out and you reflex reach for the phone to check in and make sure your child ha made it home safe __PUNCT__
and if you have fewer resourc __PUNCT__ greater challeng __PUNCT__ or an unsympathet employ __PUNCT__ then the struggl to balanc famili and work can simpli be overwhelm __PUNCT__
too mani american todai feel trap between be there for their kid and be a good there for their employ __PUNCT__
and our govern polici have just not kept up with the new realiti of american life __PUNCT__
the tradit famili __PUNCT__ the wai i wa rais __PUNCT__ with on breadwinn and on homemak __PUNCT__ is now the except rather than the rule __PUNCT__
todai __PUNCT__ __NUM__ percent of famili with children ar head by two work parent or by an unmarri work parent __PUNCT__
and the economi is chang as well __PUNCT__
over the past six year __PUNCT__ american ar actual work harder than ever befor __PUNCT__
and if you look at the survei __PUNCT__ american work harder than anybodi els in the world __PUNCT__
and yet famili incom have drop by nearli __MONEY__
for all that hard work it not pai off in materi term to help bui a littl more faith and mayb a littl more help in deal with these oblig __PUNCT__
at the same time __PUNCT__ health care premium have nearli doubl __PUNCT__ colleg cost ar up __NUM__ __PUNCT__ and ga price have more than doubl __PUNCT__
highli skill worker ar work more hour than ever __PUNCT__ and lower __PUNCT__ skill worker often need to take an extra job just to get by __PUNCT__
as a result __PUNCT__ american parent have twenti __PUNCT__ two fewer hour a week to spend with their kid than thei did back in __NUM__ __PUNCT__
and __NUM__ two __PUNCT__ third percent __PUNCT__ two __PUNCT__ third of all of work parent sai thei do not have enough time with their children __PUNCT__
now __PUNCT__ the famili and medic leav act ha been a signific step forward in the struggl to balanc work and famili __PUNCT__
__NUM__ million american have benefit from thi act __PUNCT__ which guarante __NUM__ week of unpaid leav for the birth of a child __PUNCT__ to care for a sick rel __PUNCT__ or to tend to a person medic problem __PUNCT__
howev __PUNCT__ famili and leav onli cover those who work for busi with __NUM__ employe or more __PUNCT__ and the leav is unpaid __PUNCT__
now __PUNCT__ i had countless peopl come up to thank me and thank my husband for famili and medic leav but a lot of peopl don't know about it or can't afford to take it __PUNCT__
so it been a tremend help __PUNCT__ but it leav so mani american out __PUNCT__
but too few of those who ar elig __PUNCT__ even for unpaid leav __PUNCT__ can take advantag of it __PUNCT__
i particularli worri about those critic dai and week that realli ar import for bond between new parent and their own children when thei forc to go back to work __PUNCT__
three out of four worker who report that thei need leav __PUNCT__ but didn't take it __PUNCT__ cite lost wage as the princip reason __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ the sad fact is that our countri is onli on of a hand of countri that don't guarante a legal right to paid matern leav __PUNCT__
and in the us onli __NUM__ percent of men have access to paid patern leav __PUNCT__ and less than __NUM__ percent of women with a high school degre receiv paid matern leav __PUNCT__
now __PUNCT__ for profession women __PUNCT__ the stori is somewhat better __PUNCT__
access to paid leav ha steadili risen __PUNCT__ from __NUM__ percent in the 1960 to __NUM__ percent in the 1990 __PUNCT__
i rememb when i wa pregnant i wa work as a lawyer __PUNCT__
the firm had never had a pregnant lawyer __PUNCT__
and i just kept ignor i wa pregnant and the lawyer just kept sort of walk down the hall look awai and nobodi would talk about it becaus i didn't know what i wa suppos to sai and thei certainli didn't know what thei were suppos to sai __PUNCT__
and so chelsea came earli and i wa actual end a trial and think __PUNCT__ gosh now i have three week __PUNCT__ mayb a month to get readi __PUNCT__ and she must have had a differ time tabl __PUNCT__
so the morn after she wa born i in the hospit and on of the partner in the law firm call me up and sai __PUNCT__ well __PUNCT__ i heard you had a babi __PUNCT__ and i said __PUNCT__ yeah that what usual happen when you pregnant __PUNCT__ and he said __PUNCT__ well __PUNCT__ want me to pick you up on the wai to work __PUNCT__ i took that as a joke __PUNCT__
i said __PUNCT__ well no __PUNCT__ and he said __PUNCT__ what ar you go to do __PUNCT__ i said __PUNCT__ no no no __PUNCT__ let me think about thi __PUNCT__ so you know __PUNCT__ i wa abl to take time off __PUNCT__ and i relish that time __PUNCT__
i don't know what i would have done without it __PUNCT__
becaus as i onc told chelsea late on night __PUNCT__ she wa cry inconsol __PUNCT__ i said __PUNCT__ chelsea you never done a babi befor __PUNCT__ i never done a mother befor __PUNCT__ we just go to have to work to figur thi out __PUNCT__ and we had the time to do that __PUNCT__ but a lot of young mother don't __PUNCT__
and i think that bad for them __PUNCT__ i think it bad for their babi __PUNCT__ and i think that bad for all of us __PUNCT__
becaus you don't get that good begin that realli the foundat to so much more that is go to lead to success __PUNCT__
so i think we got to take a hard look __PUNCT__ not onli though at what happen with try to care for children __PUNCT__ but now increasingli for ag parent __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ we have nearli half of our worker who work in the privat sector __PUNCT__ __NUM__ million worker altogeth in our countri who have no sick dai at all __PUNCT__
and that mean that it realli hard when you respons for an ag parent who ha to get to the doctor __PUNCT__
when there mai be a parent who mai live far from where you live now __PUNCT__ and you need time to go to make sure that he or she is okai __PUNCT__
we have a lot of figur that show how much product we lose in the economi becaus we not figur out a wai to help famili member do what we want them to do __PUNCT__ which is care for each other __PUNCT__
a flexibl schedul would give caregiv an enorm amount of help __PUNCT__
i think we should look for wai to do that __PUNCT__
and certainli a lot of women who ar emploi with children __PUNCT__ more than __NUM__ __PUNCT__ would prefer to work part time __PUNCT__ but that not in the card __PUNCT__ becaus it hard to manag that and it often doesn't pai enough to make it work for them __PUNCT__
so i think that part of what we have to do is get real about what happen with famili todai __PUNCT__
i want to make it easer for peopl both to work and to fulfil their most import respons __PUNCT__
it as though a lot of peopl in our societi just feel like thei struggl all by themselv __PUNCT__ and i think it time we brought thi convers out into the open __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ if you a worker who get sick but doesn't have sick dai __PUNCT__ well you ar invis __PUNCT__
and if you a singl mom who can't afford childcar then you invis too __PUNCT__
and if you a parent who can't take time off to take your child to the doctor or to care for your ag parent __PUNCT__ well __PUNCT__ then you invis __PUNCT__
and if you a new mom __PUNCT__ that want to spend those critic earli week bond with their child __PUNCT__ whether it your birth child or an adopt child __PUNCT__ and your fortun turn to work __PUNCT__ well you feel pretti invis as well __PUNCT__
middl class american mai be invis to georg bush __PUNCT__
but thei not go to be invis to me __PUNCT__
and when we take back the white hous thei will no longer be invis to the presid of the unti state __PUNCT__
it time for a new administr that actual care about the middl class __PUNCT__
it time for chang of cours in thi countri __PUNCT__
we have to chang our econom cours __PUNCT__ we have to chang our cours in iraq __PUNCT__ and chang cours when it come to health care __PUNCT__
the bush economi ha be3en a trap door economi __PUNCT__
too mani famili ar just on diagnosi __PUNCT__ on pink slip __PUNCT__ on miss mortgag payment awai from fall through __PUNCT__
it time onc again to sai __PUNCT__ that america is onli as strong as it middl class __PUNCT__
and on of the kei to strengthen the middl class is support middl class famili __PUNCT__
that why i been so passion about reauthor the children health insur program that i help to creat __PUNCT__
and that why i been so outrag over the republican attack on thi __PUNCT__
and let me tell you on stori that made me realli angri __PUNCT__
the stori about a __NUM__ year old boi name graem frost __PUNCT__ he wa in a terribl car accid __PUNCT__ but thank good he wa cover by the children health insur program __PUNCT__
and recent graham and hi famili came to congress __PUNCT__ to ask us to cover more children __PUNCT__
but the presid doesn't want to do that __PUNCT__ so the republican attack machin went after graham __PUNCT__ a __NUM__ year old boi __PUNCT__
well thei can come after me ani time __PUNCT__ but shame on them for attack a child __PUNCT__
and shame on them for oppos health care for our children __PUNCT__
i think we had enough of thi cruel and destruct polit in america __PUNCT__
and as presid i go to return our focu to support middl class and hard work famili __PUNCT__ especi when it come to care for children __PUNCT__ an issu that i work on my entir life __PUNCT__
dure law school i focus on how the law affect kid __PUNCT__
after i graduat i turn down law firm to go door to door for the children defens fund __PUNCT__ try to figur out why so mani children weren't enrol at school __PUNCT__
that led to the landmark feder special educ law __PUNCT__
dure my year in arkansa __PUNCT__ i found a group call arkansa advoc for children and famili and develop a scholarship program to support singl mom __PUNCT__
when bill wa elect presid __PUNCT__ i work veri hard to support the famili medic leav act and would proud it wa the first bill that he sign into law __PUNCT__
it been such a success that it hard to rememb how controversi it onc wa __PUNCT__ it wa actual veto twice befor my husband wa elect __PUNCT__
and i want to pai special tribut to my colleagu and friend senat chri dodd who wa the champion of the famili medic leav act for all of those year __PUNCT__
i also work to creat earli head start __PUNCT__ to ensur invest in head start and childcar fund __PUNCT__ and i plan and to carri out the histor white hous confer on earli childhood develop and childcar __PUNCT__
i continu thi work in the senat __PUNCT__
__PUNCT__ inaud __PUNCT__ legisl i offer to provid respit care for famili caregiv __PUNCT__ a bill to give famili more flexibl in find child care __PUNCT__ and grandpar more help in rais their grandchildren __PUNCT__
i co __PUNCT__ sponsor legisl to provid seven paid sick dai a year to help parent care for sick parent or children __PUNCT__
and i work with flan the famili medic leav act __PUNCT__ and to extend it for up to __NUM__ month for famili care for wound soldier __PUNCT__
but as far as we come __PUNCT__ it clear that we have a long wai to go __PUNCT__
i never forget a newspap advic column i read in the earli __NUM__ __PUNCT__ i wa work at a law firm and my daughter wa about __NUM__ year old __PUNCT__ someon had written thi advic column __PUNCT__ and thei ask i about to get a big promot and i go to have my own offic __PUNCT__
what kind of decor ar appropri for my offic __PUNCT__ well the advic columnist respond that he need to know if the writer wa a man or a woman becaus it would affect hi answer __PUNCT__
if you a man __PUNCT__ he wrote __PUNCT__ and you have a famili __PUNCT__ put up lot of pictur of your famili becaus peopl will think to themselv thi is a stabl person with good famili valu __PUNCT__
but if you a woman __PUNCT__ don't put out ani pictur of your famili in the offic __PUNCT__ becaus peopl will think you can't keep your mind on the job __PUNCT__
well of cours i immedi fill my littl offic with famili pictur __PUNCT__
becaus i thought that that would __PUNCT__ inaud __PUNCT__ now __PUNCT__ that wa a long time ago __PUNCT__ but it still sum up the attitud of america polici toward women and parent in the workplac __PUNCT__ keep your famili life to yourself and don't let your famili affect your work __PUNCT__
well __PUNCT__ i think we had enough of that __PUNCT__
it about time we stop just talk about famili valu and start pursu polici that truli valu famili __PUNCT__
so todai __PUNCT__ i hand out my agenda that i hope will make a differ in help young famili particularli strike that balanc between famili and work __PUNCT__
for me thi is a veri person issu becaus we all have a stake in the next gener __PUNCT__
sometim peopl sai to me well if you just focu on famili with children __PUNCT__
well that unfair to everybodi els but i couldn't disagre more __PUNCT__
todai kid ar tomorrow doctor and nurs __PUNCT__ teacher __PUNCT__ innov __PUNCT__ polic offic and firefight __PUNCT__
so mani other posit that we desper need in our societi __PUNCT__
so a gener of healthi children rais by strong famili is in america best interest __PUNCT__
and i think it integr relat to our nation futur __PUNCT__
the first part of my agenda is to promot paid famili leav __PUNCT__ which is critic for give new parent the opportun to bond with their children at the most import time in their develop __PUNCT__
parent leav rule mai give mani famili time off __PUNCT__ but famili of modest mean too often simpli can't afford to take it unless that leav is paid __PUNCT__
i believ we should set a goal of everi famili in america be abl to take time off when their children ar born or adopt __PUNCT__ and at least some of that time should be paid leav for those who need it __PUNCT__
everyon should be abl to take the time to start their children off right __PUNCT__
no on should miss out on those critic earli dai __PUNCT__
now thi is a goal that will take some time to achiev __PUNCT__
but what i want to do is propos that we have a famili leav initi with feder govern leadership and state level innov __PUNCT__
mani state that consid legisl __PUNCT__ for exampl california now guarante six week of famili leav that employe paid at __NUM__ __PUNCT__ of their wage up to __MONEY__ a week __PUNCT__
i will submit __MONEY__ billion per year to an innov fund that encourag a kind of state level solut __PUNCT__
what work in california mai not work in arkansa mai not work in new hampshir __PUNCT__
we offer competit match grant that cover startup cost and help pai an equal part of the cost __PUNCT__
we not go to dictat from washington what approach state should take but we will seek out and support the best innov __PUNCT__
i also want to expand the famili and medic leav act __PUNCT__
it current onli cover firm of fifti or more worker __PUNCT__ it ha not been an imposit on busi __PUNCT__
all of the nai __PUNCT__ sai and the sort of chicken littl predict have not come true __PUNCT__
i want to lower the threshold to twenti __PUNCT__ five worker that will includ an addit __NUM__ million american __PUNCT__
i also will reinstat a regul i fought for dure my husband administr __PUNCT__
select state us their unemploy insur system to provid paid patern and matern leav __PUNCT__
presid bush wa wrong to overturn it and we will bring it back __PUNCT__
i also want to make the feder govern a model workplac by provid paid parent leav __PUNCT__
for a rel modest cost __PUNCT__ we can provid that for all feder employe __PUNCT__
do so would set a standard and would make govern servic more attract for younger worker __PUNCT__
parent also need access to leav at time other than the birth or adopt of a child and we need to recogn that realiti __PUNCT__
i will also work to promot flexibl work schedul __PUNCT__
and guarante the right of parent and other caregiv who request a flexibl schedul without advers consequ __PUNCT__
now thi initi simpli requir employ to consid flexibl serious __PUNCT__
it is not a mandat __PUNCT__
all employ can grant such request __PUNCT__
the goal is to shift from a presumpt of no flexibl to a presumpt of some flexibl with a cooper approach __PUNCT__
unit season pass a similar law in __NUM__ which produc a promis result __PUNCT__
it wa done without a major imposit to busi or destruct to the workplac __PUNCT__
i believ that we could encourag peopl to start have these convers in the workplac __PUNCT__
becaus i think it import that we look for wai to be more flexibl __PUNCT__
second i will promot model workplac in corpor america and reward employ who help their employe balanc work and famili __PUNCT__
we establish a public __PUNCT__ privat partnership program on model workplac at the depart of labor and establish award to highlight busi that establish such innov workplac flexibl program __PUNCT__
the partnership will provid grant to busi to expand model to serv more employe and work to spread the word __PUNCT__
we also promot the most innov workplac approach in area such as telecommut __PUNCT__
you know reduc work schedul __PUNCT__ flexibl arriv and departur time __PUNCT__ offer on __PUNCT__ site servic such as child care __PUNCT__ provid predict work schedul __PUNCT__ offer a cafeteria of mani new benefit that differ famili can choos for themselv __PUNCT__
i want to offer telecommut becaus it will not onli give more flexibl but it will also reduc rush __PUNCT__ hour hardship __PUNCT__ improv the environ __PUNCT__ and lower our emiss __PUNCT__
thi ha been on of the princip recommend __PUNCT__ to try to get car off the road particularli at choke __PUNCT__ point time __PUNCT__
third i will work to ensur better access to high qualiti child care and to help parent who want to stai at home with their children __PUNCT__
i will increas fund to the child care develop block grant to get back to provid fund that ha been dramat cut back dure the bush administr __PUNCT__
we have to improv the qualiti of child care by help state improv and enforc licens and safeti standard and there a lot we can do to get more flexibl in child care __PUNCT__
i particularli want to allow elig stai __PUNCT__ at __PUNCT__ home parent to receiv child care subsidi through the child care develop block grant __PUNCT__
current onli parent who place their children in child care ar elig to receiv that assist __PUNCT__
that make no sens to me __PUNCT__
why should we pai for other peopl to care for your children but not give you the support to stai home and do it yourself __PUNCT__ by includ stai at home parent __PUNCT__ we can give famili more option and more time togeth __PUNCT__
we also begin to find a wai therefor to give parent the choic to stai home instead of rush back to work __PUNCT__
and final __PUNCT__ i work to protect worker against pregnanc discrimin __PUNCT__
i thought we had put thi to rest __NUM__ year ago __PUNCT__ but unfortun we had not __PUNCT__
no woman should be fire for be pregnant or give birth __PUNCT__
and no dad should be fire for take a few dai off to help hi wife recov from childbirth __PUNCT__
or care for their newborn or adopt babi __PUNCT__
but todai women can be fire just for be pregnant if an employ ha a no __PUNCT__ leav polici __PUNCT__
if that sound horribl outdat __PUNCT__ that becaus it is __PUNCT__
it time to bring our law against pregnanc discrimin into thi centuri __PUNCT__
that mean ban it from out workplac __PUNCT__ which is exactli what i will do as presid __PUNCT__
now i assum i will have on hundr percent support from the republican who care deepli about support pregnant women and their famili and i look forward to have that __PUNCT__ inaud __PUNCT__ now will all of thi be easi __PUNCT__ of cours not __PUNCT__
but american who ar work hard and take respons deserv the chanc to do right for their children and their parent __PUNCT__
and thi is not expens __PUNCT__
thi is total afford __PUNCT__ everyth i propos in thi campaign i tell you how i will pai for it __PUNCT__
becaus we go to get back to fiscal respons __PUNCT__
but i think we also have to get back to famili respons __PUNCT__ inaud __PUNCT__ you know __PUNCT__ when i wa a young mother __PUNCT__ i wa so grate for the help that i had __PUNCT__
you know __PUNCT__ my parent would come and stai with us for a coupl of week at a time or bill who wa then governor of arkansa and need to take a trip __PUNCT__
and i want to go and thei come and take care of our daughter __PUNCT__
and we had thi network of friend and famili that wa alwai there for us __PUNCT__
in addit to do what i want to do as presid which includ polici that i outlin __PUNCT__ i realli want to speak out about how we got to support young famili more in our commun __PUNCT__
we need to be there for a lot of these young mom like marci __PUNCT__ who ar work as hard as thei can __PUNCT__
and look for wai within our neighborhood or our commun __PUNCT__ us institut like the y to realli make a differ __PUNCT__
it not just what our govern doe __PUNCT__ in fact that is probabl the least of it __PUNCT__
it how we feel for help those who ar do the most import job in our societi __PUNCT__ rais the next gener __PUNCT__
so i think we have some idea that peopl can you know look to take for themselv __PUNCT__ such as volunt at a childcar center __PUNCT__ look for more intergener program __PUNCT__
we have found great support of daycar for the elderli mix with daycar for children __PUNCT__
we need to look to see how we support institut like the y that we all of the nonprofit support that thei can get to do these import work that thei do everi singl dai __PUNCT__
so if we concern and i think we should be __PUNCT__
that we ar put so much stress on young famili __PUNCT__
and i believ we see some of that come out in some of the behavior of our young children __PUNCT__
then we each have a stake in try to be there be part of that villag __PUNCT__
you know when i wrote that book back in __NUM__ and __NUM__ and said it take a villag to rais a child __PUNCT__ some peopl said well that doesn't appli to us __PUNCT__
that an old african proverb __PUNCT__
i think it appli to ani societi __PUNCT__
we mai be implement it differ __PUNCT__
it mai not look the same but i think there more than enough wai we can recogn we all in thi togeth __PUNCT__
i reject the bush administr attitud that everyon is on hi or her own __PUNCT__
i don't think that will be a strong societi and i know it is not how we build strong famili and support for rais up children __PUNCT__
so i go to be ask all of us to think of wai we can help to make it just a littl easier so that our young parent know that the most import job thei have is not go to be undermin by the job thei have to do to bring home the incom that support them and their famili __PUNCT__
thank you all veri much __PUNCT__
