In families with two parents, they must decide what to do about their jobs when facing a long-term hospitalization of their child. If you can, use all available sick leave and vacation days before you decide whether one parent should leave a job. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects job security of workers in large companies (50+ employees within a 75-mile radius) who must take a leave of absence for medical reasons, including caring for a seriously ill child, recovering from a medical condition, giving birth, or adopting a child. You can consult your employee handbook or director of human resources about whether your company is covered by this law.