Metro Mom takes fight for working parents to presidential candidates

OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — A metro mom is taking her fight for working parents straight to the presidential candidates.

Related: Oklahoma mother starts campaign for family leave policy

Ali Dodd’s son died while sleeping at daycare. She now says in addition to stricter infant sleep safety laws, working parents need more time off to take care for their newborns.

A heart wrenching call for any parent; your baby won't wake up at their daycare.

"And our kids were supposed to be safe in daycare, but they weren't. We're not the only parents in this position,” said Dodd.

That phone call was a horrible reality for Ali Dodd and her husband on April 6, 2015. She says their son Shepard was 11-weeks-old when he was put to sleep in a car seat and left unattended at a home daycare. Soon after, Shepard passed away.

"No one is doing anything, so I want everyone to stop talking about it and start taking steps towards the real solution,” said Dodd.

Since then, Dodd has spent nearly a year and a half fighting to protect other families. Dodd is now pushing for changes to federal laws to allow parents longer leave after having a baby. She believes if she and her husband had more time off work, Shepard might still be alive.

Related: Bills to improve daycare safety approved on anniversary of infant's death

"We both had to go back to work or we were both going to lose our jobs or our benefits. It should be a priority because 1 in every 4 women go back to work in 2 weeks because they can't afford to be unpaid or they can't afford to lose their job or their benefits,” said Dodd.

She's taking that message straight to the top Monday: Dodd will present her cause to both the Clinton and Trump campaigns in New York City. She's hoping to get this platform on the biggest stage to prevent other families from sharing Shepard's tragic fate.

"To have better options, more options. If it's longer unpaid leave, if it's a percentage of paid leave for so many weeks so we can get these infants a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger before we have to put them in someone else's care,” said Dodd.

Related: Edmond couple challenges Oklahoma daycare standards

Dodd encourages anyone who supports her cause to contact their state legislators, as Oklahoma lawmakers are now considering conducting a study on this issue.

Dodd has successfully pushed 3 laws through the Oklahoma legislature; all have to do with infant sleep safety and daycares. One of those is called 'Shepards Law' after her late son. It bars child daycare providers from using loose bedding or blankets where infants sleep.