Tiny Lives backed Neonatal Care Leave to roll out in April

The Department for Business and Trade has announced that the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will be implemented starting 6 April this year.

We are pleased to share that the Department for Business and Trade has confirmed the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act will take effect on 6 April this year, as of 20 January.

The new Neonatal Care Leave entitlement is the result of successful campaigning, supported by numerous charities including Tiny Lives, to enhance the employment rights of parents with a sick newborn or premature baby. Previously, many of these parents faced the difficult choice of returning to work while their baby remained in the hospital, often receiving critical care.

This legislation, which received Royal Assent in May 2023, grants employed parents the right to take one week of leave for each week their baby spends in neonatal care, up to a maximum of 12 weeks, provided the baby is under 28 days old and stays in the hospital for 7 days or longer.

Parents will be able to take this leave in addition to other statutory entitlements, such as maternity and paternity leave, and will receive pay where eligible. As a ‘day one’ employment right, this entitlement applies from the very first day of a new job.

Chief Executive of Tiny Lives, Kelly Blakeney welcomed the bill and said ‘This news has been a long time coming and we’re delighted that working families are going to be entitled to vital time to focus on their baby, without the additional worries of work or pay. This will make a huge difference for thousands of families in the North East and North Cumbria.’