SPECIAL INTERESTS
FMLA
This August marks the fifth anniversary of the Family and Medical Leave Act, and still,
more than 40 percent of Americans are unfamiliar with this law. The FMLA was designed to
alleviate the strain on working families through several basic provisions. It guarantees
that people who work for companies with more than 50 employees can take of to 12 weeks'
unpaid leave a year to care for a newborn or newly-adopted child or for certain seriously
ill family members, or to recover from their own serious health conditions.
A free, consumer- friendly Guide to the Family and Medical Leave Act is
available in both English and Spanish. The guide is available in the
following ways: on our website, readable and downloadable at
http://www.nationalpartnership.org/workandfamily/fmleave/questions_answers
it is also available by writing:
Publication #A43,
National Partnership for Women & Families,
1875 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 710,
Washington, DC 20009.
Kakite Ano
New Zealand's first drop-in centre for dads, called "Dad's Place", was
officially opened on Saturday, August 15, in Christchurch's Cranmer
Centre. The centre covers about 50 sq metres and includes a play corner for young
children, a resource center, and a kitchen. It is run by the Father&Child Trust, which
originated in Christ-church last year, and branches have now spread to Wellington, Dunedin
and Palmerston North.
The idea of the center is to enable men to share parenting experiences
and gather more information in an informal and relaxed setting. It especially targets
fathers in very isolated parenting situations, such as single dads and housedads, but also
separated, non-custodial fathers and anyone else who is an active, involved dad. Dads can
just drop in with their kids, killing time on a rainy day, or take time to read one of the
many books and magazines (both national and international) on parenting as well as fathers
or men's issues. The idea is to form networks of men that are based on their backgrounds
as fathers, not as
workers or sportsmen, und thus improve their confidence in their own
parenting. Naturally, we're proud of this. Thanks for your support. — Harald Breiding
Coordinator
Father & Child Trust
CHOCOLATE ERASING THE MYTHS & NOT AS SINFUL AS ONCE THOUGHT . . .
The first, as expected is the title of a press release from the CMA
(Chocolate Manufacturers Association) and the NCA (National Confectioners Association).
The second one, however, is from the American Institute of Cancer Research.
It seems that delicious delight is not all bad after all.
It does not
cause acne, or add to heart disease and it has no greater effect on blood sugar than other
traditionally recommended snacks. On caffeine, a once ounce serving has about the same
amount as a cup of decaff! (Of course, who eats just one ounce? But, a 6oz serving equals
about 1 cup of coffee, or can of soda.) And finally 1 oz of chocolate contains as much
phenolic acid as a five oz glass of wine!
For a free brochure contact:
"Sweet Truth"
Chocolate Manufacturers Association
7900 Westpark Drive
McLean, VA 22102
Dollars or Sense
The Children's Defense Funds reports in a recent study that parents pay more for a year of
quality child care than they would for a full year's in state tuition in a public college
or university.
The study compared the cost of quality child care of a 4
year old and the college tuition in each state. Vermont was the only State where child
care was cheaper than college.
For a four-year public college, the College Board sample
student budget is $10,069 for dorm- dwelling students. Only 31 percent ($3122) of that is
tuition and another 43 percent is room and board ( $1,390 for misc. expenses)
Nearly two-thirds of students receive some sort of
financial aid --
mostly federal and state loans. It is not surprising the annual cost of
college tuition and fees can run as high as $25,000.
There is, however, a source of money that is often
overlooked by
parents and students: privately sponsored merit scholarships and grant
programs available to undergraduate students. Details on these more than 800,000 awards
totaling $2.5 billion can be easily found in "Peterson's Scholarships, Grants &
Prizes" ($26.95) and "Peterson's
Scholarship Almanac" ($9.95) 800-338-3282, http://www.petersons.com
(sorry, they can't be applied towards childcare)
