In honor of National Family Caregivers Month in November, The Arc is raising awareness of the issue of paid family and medical leave and its importance from the perspective of sibling caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

The Arc is sharing a new and compelling family story to illustrate the urgent need for a national and comprehensive paid leave system that includes siblings.

One in five Americans has a disability. The caregiver crisis is hitting these families in a uniquely difficult way, while paid family leave proposals have stalled in Congress far too long. Without paid leave, families face a cruel choice: the health and well-being of a loved one with a disability – or working to make ends meet.

The Arc’s Family & Individual Needs for Disability Supports (FINDS) survey shows the need for family and medical leave policy reform and reveals that 80 percent of people with IDD live with a caregiver who is a family member.

“We call on Congress to pass inclusive paid family and medical leave legislation that recognizes the important role of all family caregivers. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families often experience greater financial insecurity and are more likely to face barriers to employment, making the impact of unpaid time off particularly devastating,” said Peter Berns, CEO, The Arc. “Siblings are increasingly taking on the role of primary caregiver, as parents and grandparents age and become unable to care for children and grandchildren who have disabilities and important care needs.”

Please find Michael’s story and other paid leave stories here.