Black Country dad celebrates new neonatal leave law for parents
From today, working parents are entitled to up to 12 weeks additional leave
A father from Halesowen, whose been campaigning for better employment rights for parents of premature babies, is celebrating today as the new Neonatal Care bill comes into force.
Matt Wilkinson and his wife Sally's twin boys were born at just 25 weeks gestation in 2015.
Sam sadly passed away after 16 days. Harry spent 107 days in neonatal care before coming home on oxygen support.
Driven by his experience, Matt campaigned with premature baby charity The Smallest Things for almost a decade, calling on the government to extend paid leave to parents of premature babies.
Following their campaign, the new Neonatal Leave and Pay entitlements come into effect today (6 April).
It means eligible parents will be able to take up to 12 weeks of additional leave, on top of any maternity or paternity leave, from the first day on the job.
Parents will also be paid for this additional neonatal leave at the statutory rate.
Matt said: “As a NICU parent, I know first-hand that the neonatal journey does not end when you finally come home from hospital. When we finally brought Harry home, he was on oxygen and most days were spent at check-ups or hospital visits.
"It wasn’t until he was six months’ old that appointments became less frequent and by then we were already planning Sally’s return to work as a teacher.
“If we had received additional leave, we would have been able to spend more time with Harry and cherish being together as a family. We could have had some time to come to terms with the loss of Sam and be more prepared and able to commit to returning to the workforce.
“The new Neonatal Leave & Pay law will support families and enable them to focus on those precious moments you never get back. Dads are often overlooked and I’m pleased it recognises the need for families to be together during these difficult times.”
Founder of The Smallest Things charity, Catriona Ogilvy said: “The stress and trauma experienced by families during a neonatal stay cannot be underestimated. In an instant, our world is turned upside down. No parent or carer should be sitting beside an incubator worrying about pay or work.
“This new law is the result of a decade of bringing the power of the parent voice to Parliament. Thousands of neonatal parents have fought hard for this law so that those that follow in their footsteps will get the support they need.“