The UK Department for Business and Trade announced on January 20 that the government is adopting a new policy of parental leave for families who have babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a hospital. 

Beginning on April 6, 2025, families who welcome a newborn needing more than seven days of continuous hospital care will be eligible for parental leave of up to 12 weeks. This will be in addition to any parental leave regularly entitled for the birth of a baby. The new benefit applies to both parents.

In some circumstances, paid time off is also afforded by the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act of 2023. According to a press release, “The Government is committed to providing the support families need to allow them to be by their child’s side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave.”

READ: Lila Rose encourages crowd at March for Life: ‘You are the voice for those who have no voice’

Over 90,000 babies are born prematurely or sick and need specialized neonatal care in a NICU department in England, Scotland, and Wales each year. Bliss, an advocacy organization for these babies, estimates that a quarter of those new fathers had to choose between taking time off while their child was in the hospital or after discharge. If a baby stayed in neonatal care for more than four weeks, the vast majority of dads, seven in 10, had to return to work before the baby left the hospital. 

When Marie-Claire Dorking, a Yahoo Life contributor, gave birth to twin babies by emergency c-section at 33 weeks and six days gestation, she and her husband had to divide their time; the new parental leave policy was not yet in effect. With little time for planning or paid paternity leave, Dorking’s husband went back to work to save his two weeks of paternity leave for the future after their babies came home from the NICU. Dorking was left to travel back and forth from home and learn to care for her babies alone.

“At Bliss we know just how important it is that babies born premature or sick have both parents at their side in neonatal care during their challenging first weeks and months of life, playing a hands-on role in their care,” said Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive at Bliss. “By contrast, the lack of additional parental leave rights for parents to date has forced many to make the unimaginable choice to return to work in order to pay their bills while their baby is desperately ill in hospital. That is why Bliss is so proud to have led campaigning for the introduction of the Neonatal Care (Leave & Pay) Act, which will provide thousands of employed parents every year with the assurance that they can take the time to be with their sick baby when they need it most.”

Tell President Trump, RFK, Jr., Elon, and Vivek:

Stop killing America’s future. Defund Planned Parenthood NOW!

The UK Department for Business and Trade announced on January 20 that the government is adopting a new policy of parental leave for families who have babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a hospital. 

Beginning on April 6, 2025, families who welcome a newborn needing more than seven days of continuous hospital care will be eligible for parental leave of up to 12 weeks. This will be in addition to any parental leave regularly entitled for the birth of a baby. The new benefit applies to both parents.

In some circumstances, paid time off is also afforded by the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act of 2023. According to a press release, “The Government is committed to providing the support families need to allow them to be by their child’s side without having to work throughout or use up their existing leave.”

READ: Lila Rose encourages crowd at March for Life: ‘You are the voice for those who have no voice’

Over 90,000 babies are born prematurely or sick and need specialized neonatal care in a NICU department in England, Scotland, and Wales each year. Bliss, an advocacy organization for these babies, estimates that a quarter of those new fathers had to choose between taking time off while their child was in the hospital or after discharge. If a baby stayed in neonatal care for more than four weeks, the vast majority of dads, seven in 10, had to return to work before the baby left the hospital. 

When Marie-Claire Dorking, a Yahoo Life contributor, gave birth to twin babies by emergency c-section at 33 weeks and six days gestation, she and her husband had to divide their time; the new parental leave policy was not yet in effect. With little time for planning or paid paternity leave, Dorking’s husband went back to work to save his two weeks of paternity leave for the future after their babies came home from the NICU. Dorking was left to travel back and forth from home and learn to care for her babies alone.

“At Bliss we know just how important it is that babies born premature or sick have both parents at their side in neonatal care during their challenging first weeks and months of life, playing a hands-on role in their care,” said Caroline Lee-Davey, chief executive at Bliss. “By contrast, the lack of additional parental leave rights for parents to date has forced many to make the unimaginable choice to return to work in order to pay their bills while their baby is desperately ill in hospital. That is why Bliss is so proud to have led campaigning for the introduction of the Neonatal Care (Leave & Pay) Act, which will provide thousands of employed parents every year with the assurance that they can take the time to be with their sick baby when they need it most.”

Tell President Trump, RFK, Jr., Elon, and Vivek:

Stop killing America’s future. Defund Planned Parenthood NOW!