Expanding Paid Family Medical Leave in Virginia to 80-100% for up to 12 weeks a year would allow for families to better prepare for end of life medical care, for family planning, medical emergencies and other medical care for residents. Access to paid leave would make it easier for families to consider growing knowing they could be better prepared and allow for longer bonding between parents and their children, when that decision is left to employers families suffer, families that breastfeed are often pushed to formula because of the lack of access to proper time with their children and families could save more money by accessing paid family leave. Families considering growing under these current economic pressures would be less likely to consider growing without financial assurances such as paid family leave. The option of leaving it to employers often means parents get less time with their babies and less financial security for working families. Policies like this actually show up for working families in the Commonwealth. This is just the beginning.