Destin Howard, Mar 6, 2023
ROCKFORD — The Zachary Parent Protection Act if passed could ensure parents' new rights after losing a child to suicide.
Also known as the Child Extended Bereavement Leave Act originated with Laura Kane mother of Zachary Birkholz. Kane lost her 14-year-old son Zachary to suicide in 2018 and then lost her job. Kane says she was fired by her employer for failing to meet their expectations.
However, in honor of her son and other parents like her, she is now fighting to get the bill passed in partnership with State Representative Maurice West, to protect any parent going through a similar experience.
"Further in my journey as I continued to meet parents who had also endured the loss of a child to suicide I continued to hear over and over of how frequently people were losing their jobs because losing a child is extremely traumatic no matter how but losing one to suicide honestly does something to you,” said Kane.
Kane continued to say,
"I'm fighting for you as a suicide survivor parent and this bill is for those of us who are left behind with this type of pain,” said Kane.
According to Representative West under the legislation employers with 250 employees or more must provide 12 weeks of unpaid leave to those parents who lost a child by way of suicide or homicide.
Employers who have less than 250 employees but have 50 or more would be required to provide six weeks of unpaid leave.
The Bill also prohibits employers from taking negative or “adverse” action against those employees and that they will be returned to the position they were in prior to taking the leave.
Representative West, believes this will ensure businesses continue to produce quality work.
"No matter which way you look at it if you look at it from the employers or you look at it from the employees side this is a way to help that particular individual who may have lost their loved one to help them deal with their grief to deal with the loss and hopefully come back to work being able to be a high performer,” said West.
Kane will go in front of the senate in Springfield Illinois, Thursday at 10 a.m. to tell her story.
If the bill passes through the Senate it will then go on to the house of representatives for further review.
