Letter: Family Leave for Dads

A letter to our friends and supporters from our Board’s Executive Committee

Dear friends, 

Later this month our Co-Founder + CEO Joe Waters will begin 90 days of fully paid, family leave as he and his wife welcome their first child into the world. Capita’s Board of Directors, with unanimous support, have made a strong commitment to providing Joe and all of our future employees, with this time to care for and bond with their newly arrived, young children. We hope that our example might help other employers implement policies that support the well-being of new families and the flourishing of all young children. 

According to a recent UNICEF report, leave reserved for fathers makes up only one-tenth of global parental leave. For women, maternity leave provides time and space for mothers to recover from pregnancy and childbirth, facilitates breastfeeding, and provides critical bonding time. For men, family leave is critically important: it gives children access to their fathers in a crucial period of early development. There is strong evidence connecting family leave for fathers with family stability as fathers who take family leave when their children are born are more likely to be engaged with their children years later. Parental leave is indispensable for  ensuring that parents are able to form the reciprocal, responsive relationships that are the foundation of lifelong flourishing. 

Joe plans to take the first 30 days of his leave immediately after the birth of his son, before taking the remaining 60 days starting in early February. Undoubtedly, Capita’s work will slow during these months while Joe is away. We are a small start-up organization after all, but given the work we do, we believe strongly that nothing is more aligned with our stated mission and values than providing Joe with this leave. 

Children are Capita’s work. Their health and well-being, and their parents’ health and well-being, are our sole focus. We will make it work with the finances and staffing Capita’s projects because this is simply part of the solution of building a better future for our kids. 

Please do not hesitate to be in touch with the executive committee or with Katie Pittman from the Capita team if we can answer any questions or help you in any way while Joe is away. 

Thank you for your support of Capita. 

Sara Peters, Chair

Patrin Watanatada, Vice-Chair

Lucy Davidson, Treasurer