Support Paid Sick Days

Back-to-School Toolkit

Fall can be a challenging time for any working parent. Summer is over. Kids are headed back to school — and flu season is around the corner. When a child gets sick, many parents are filled with dread. But for parents whose jobs do not offer paid sick days, these fears are compounded by worries about how they will care for a sick child and make ends meet.

That’s why fall is also a good time of year to raise awareness about the need for a common sense paid sick days standard in this country. To make your conversations easier, we've put together a back-to-school toolkit, complete with a sample fact sheet, letters to the editor and elected officials, a set of discussion questions for parents and a survey to assess the impact paid sick days are having on your child’s school. We’ve also included great examples of a customized fact sheet and ideas for action from our partners at A Better Balance, a key leader in the vibrant New York City paid sick days campaign. And to learn about paid sick days in your community, visit our map.

Fact Sheet

• Healthy Kids, Healthy Schools: The Case for a National Paid Sick Days Standard

Templates

• Sample Letter to the Editor

• Sample Letter to an Elected Official

• Sample Fact Sheet for your City/State

At the PTA Meeting

• Suggested Questions for PTA Meetings and other Parent/School Gatherings

• Sample Survey For Parents Following Discussion at a PTA Meeting

Examples from around the country

• New York City: Ideas for Action

• Vermont Op-ed: Paid sick days should be a public health priority

Let us know how we're doing! Have feedback on the toolkit? Take our survey here »