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Summary.
Many U.S. organizations offer maternity and paternity leave. But paid time off after the birth of a child is not enough. Organizations need to create a broader ecosystem to support new parents and especially mothers. Questions to ask include: Who will take on the work of the person on leave? How will you assess her performance that year? What are her career aspirations now? What other policies do you have to support moms and dads? And how will you measure your progress and success?A few weeks into my first maternity leave, a former colleague and friend called to check in on me and my infant son, Jay. It had been a rough birth physically and happened in Manhattan, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, which added to the stress. I welcomed her call, thankful to hear her familiar voice.