Countries who don’t invest in their nation’s children leave the future at risk.
According to a recent (2026) Engage Employee report, Estonia and Croatia landed the top spots – at first and second respectively – for generous national parental leave policies. The U.S. tops the worst maternity leave policy list – tied with Papua, New Guinea, at zero weeks.
The tenth annual Strolling Thunder 2026 brings together parents and their children from all 50 states and Washington on June 9 to urge lawmakers to do more to invest in children – and their families.
This year’s Pennsylvania representative, Clara Busse of Philadelphia, is a maternal and child researcher and the mother of two young children: Willa and Frederik.
According to Busse’s Strolling Thunder profile a $20, 000 grant allowed her family to grow, while she and her husband completed their doctoral degrees.
Busse said in a phone interview that many families with young children struggle financially to put food on the table, continue to work and pay their bills while juggling the needs of their children and affording quality child care.
“The U.S. does not have a paid leave policy, and parents with a newborn have to cobble together vacation and paid time before they go back to work. When they do return to work someone has to look after their baby,” she said.
Roughly 14.4 million children under the age of five live in households where one or both parents are working, according to Zero to Three, an early childhood advocacy organization.
Busse said helping all parents achieve affordable childcare is part of her motivation to represent Pennsylvania at the upcoming Strolling Thunder event.
Zero to Three reported the average costs of childcare in most states can exceed the cost of in-state college tuition.
“Strolling Thunder broadly wants lawmakers to invest in babies and support families with young children,” Busse said.
She and others advocate for new nationwide policies, which would include generous paid family leave and affordable and available child care access.
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“When families can access affordable, high quality child care, parents can work and not be worried about their children. Congress has the power to build systems to support children and the people raising them – people should not have to scramble,” she added.
The National Women’s Law Center said about a third of states had a freeze on child care wait lists while Zero to Three reported “state wait lists are increasing at an alarming rate.” That means about 400,000 children on childcare assistance waitlists are left with “few options.”
Currently the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires companies with 50 or more employees to provide up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave during a 12 month interval. The leave may be used following childbirth and newborn care; adoption or foster child placement or to care for a parent, or spouse or self with a serious medical condition, among others.
In addition to companies, the act covers public entities like government agencies, public school districts and K-12 private schools, regardless of the number of employees, the U.S. Department of Labor said.
“New policies, for me, include generous paid family leave and making child care available and affordable – this is really basic stuff … yet, we lack systems to care for them,” Busse added.
The March of Dimes reported as of 2024, just over 127,000 babies were born in Pennsylvania; while the Centers for Disease National Center for Health Statistics reported in 2023 nationwide there were about 3.6 million babies born.
“This is my first year participating, but it’s not the first year for investing in babies and toddlers. It is one of the smartest investments Congress can make,” said Busse.
