preservation of strong family relationships argues for the allocation of increased

resources for programs to strengthen families all along the risk continuum. Programs to

ease the transition to parenthood seem an obvious place to begin" (p. 422).

 One way programs can ease the transition to parenthood is by removing

institutional barriers which make the transition unduly difficult for families. The Family

and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was designed with such a purpose, but may be relatively

ineffective or may actually increase other kinds of strain for new parents (Singley &

Hynes, 2005). Because the leave of absence it secures is unpaid, couples often cannot

afford to take advantage of this opportunity. Women tend to take maternity leave to

recover from childbirth, but then take on a disproportionate amount of child care

compared to their partners as their lesser earning potential makes them the logical

candidate for a more extended leave, part-time work, or complete withdrawal from the

workforce. Men's higher earning potential tends to restrict fathers to primarily providing

for their families financially, while their practical and emotional contributions to family

work are significantly less than their partners'. However, opportunities exist for work-

family policies which promote better functioning in the families of new parents.

 Because fathers are unlikely to take unpaid leave, paid leave may be necessary to

increase fathers' participation in caring for their infants. Given the relative infrequency

with which a couple adds a baby to their family, the costs of providing short-term paid

leave may be fairly easily off-set by the rewards of higher employee retention and

productivity. However, even a brief leave of absence may encourage a higher level of

fathers' participation in caring for their children. Researchers have found that mothers

continue to provide most of the care for their children, even after returning to full-time