2008 Legislative Agenda Update

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Support House Bill 901, the Parent Protection Act, which provides Georgians up to 24 hours of unpaid, job-protected leave per year to attend school conferences or to take a child to medical appointments.

• HB 901 (Rep. Roger Bruce, 64th), the Parent Protection Act, would allow working parents to take a more active role in their children’s education and health care by providing up to 24 hours of unpaid, job-protected leave per year to attend school conferences or to take a child to medical appointments, such as checkups or immunizations.



• Georgia has the 4th highest percentage of high school dropouts in the nation, and only 59 out of every 100 girls graduate in the standard 4-year time period in our state.



• Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and girls who drop out of school are more likely to become teen parents.



• Truancy has been identified as an early warning sign for substance abuse, delinquency, teen pregnancy and dropping out of school.



• The Parent Protection Act would allow parents who do not currently have personal leave time from work to engage in important school meetings, including drop-out prevention counseling or disciplinary meetings regarding truancy.



• Research demonstrates that young people with parents who are actively engaged in their education not only experience higher levels of academic achievement but also are more likely to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to teen pregnancy.



• Having regular access to health care services can also reduce teen risk-taking behavior. According to one survey, 41% of working parents said they had missed medical appointments or delayed treatments for their children because they could not get leave time from work.

TAKE ACTION: Contact your state legislators and ask them to support HB 901, the Parent Protection Act, to empower Georgia's parents to take a more active role in guiding their children toward academic success and healthy choices.