Charity supporting families in Suffolk says time off with a baby in neonatal care is vital
New government proposals could see parents get up to 12 weeks leave on top of parents' maternity or paternity allowance
Last updated 21st Jan 2025
A charity that works with hospitals in Suffolk says it's 'traumatic' for families to leave each other when their child is sick.
It comes as new Government plans could see families across the UK allowed extra time off work if their babies are in neonatal care.
It's proposed that parents could receive up to 12 weeks on top of their maternity or paternity allowance as part of the UK's Employment Rights Bill.
Ministers say, if approved by parliament, the change would apply from an employee's first day in a new job.
"This will be really transformative for parents"
We spoke to Caroline Lee-Davey from BLISS, a charity that supports parents with premature or sick babies.
She told us they've been campaigning for this for over 10 years and are glad to see changes for what can be an incredibly difficult time for families:
"This will be really transformative for parents.
"We've heard so many stories over the years, particularly from Dads who have had their two weeks of paternity leave and then have had to face the unimaginable choice to go back to work, to keep earning money, to keep paying the bills rather than be in the hospital with their baby, leaving their very sick and vulnerable baby in the hospital and leaving their partner bearing that burden at the hospital cot side.
"This will allow families to be together and allow them to concentrate on their baby."
She went on to explain how this time for some is a necessity and a luxury that many people in the past haven't had:
"There are specialist centres around the country, but if you don't happen to live near one, we know of parents who have been routinely travelling 50, 100, 200 miles a day to be with their baby.
"Trying to juggle travelling that distance, being that far away from home, and trying to get to the job as well, is just impossible."
She explained that when parents are given the time and space for their child, everyone does better including companies: "Babies need their parents with them when they're in hospital.
"They need that loving touch, they recognise their voices and they do better and recover more quickly after a difficult or early birth if both their parents are there playing a hands on roll in care.
"Parents want only to be thinking about their baby rather than how they're going to pay their bills or get back to work.
"(We've heard) Dads taking terrifying phone calls from their partner if something goes wrong with the baby, or Dads trying to juggle a laptop at the cot side and still trying to focus on work.
"We know that's not good for families, but it's also not good for employers."