No parent should have to choose between being with their premature or sick baby in neonatal care and having to go back to work to earn a living, so I am very pleased to support the Private members Bill which my colleague, Stuart McDonald MP is bringing forward.
With the cost-of-living soaring, it is more important than ever that we secure an urgent change in the law so that parents of babies in neonatal care get the paid leave and support they need at an incredibly challenging time. Recent Bliss research found that 1 in 4 families surveyed had to borrow money or increase their debt due to their baby’s neonatal stay.
The lack of extra maternity and paternity leave entitlement when a baby is born premature or sick means many parents have to return to work while their babies are in hospital. With only two weeks of paternity leave available, many fathers and non-birthing parents return to work long before their babies are well enough to go home.
I am proud to support the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill. If it becomes law, tens of thousands of families with a baby in neonatal care will benefit from extra leave and pay at the time they need it most, including families across East Renfrewshire.’

Comentários