Research Brief 9: Employment Outcomes and Paid Leave for Caregivers of Adults with Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities

Description

A brief examining a Family and Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey subsample of 807 caregivers of adults with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD), ages 18 and older. The FINDS survey was conducted in 2017 by ICI's Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC-CL) and The Arc of the United States.

The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 allows up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for family caregiving. Almost 60% of covered workers have used FMLA leave, but only about 60% of U.S. workers are covered by the FMLA, and because leave under the FMLA is not paid, many low-wage workers are unable to take leave. To fill this gap, a growing number of states and businesses have created or are considering paid family and medical leave programs. Despite this positive trend, only 15% of civilian workers have access to paid family leave. Paid leave could be an important tool to support caregivers by easing the negative economic effects of caregiving, and thereby, improving overall outcomes for caregivers and supporting their continued ability to provide care to their loved ones.

Details

Date

Fall 2018 

Type

Brief 

Publisher

University of Illinois Chicago

Co-publisher

The Arc of the United States

Research and Training Center on Community Living (RTC-CL)