A new Act of Parliament offers support to those who have a baby receiving neonatal care from April 2025.

When a baby is admitted for neonatal care, it can be an extremely difficult and worrying time for parents, not only emotionally, but also financially as well. The parents of a baby receiving neonatal care may find their life is “on hold” whilst their baby in hospital. Every day may be different. Some parents may stay at the hospital for some or all of the time; some parents will have to leave their babies in hospital and only be able to visit.

At present, many working families are having to return to work whilst their child is unwell in hospital, in order to ensure that they can make ends meet and not lose their job. Some employers do voluntarily provide compassionate leave in such circumstances but this is not something that they are obliged to do and for many, it is not available currently.

From April 2025, a new Act will come into force to support parents whose babies are cared for in Neonatal care. The introduction of the Act will provide a vital lifeline for those facing the challenges of having a child in neonatal care.

The Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act is intended to support parents of babies who are admitted into neonatal care within 28 days of birth and who have a continuous stay in hospital of 7 full days or longer. Eligible parents will be able to take up to 12 weeks of leave and if eligible, pay, in addition to their other family leave entitlement such as maternity and paternity leave. This change in the law will provide certainly for parents and for employers, setting out clearly what should happen.

In order to be eligible for Neonatal Care leave under the act, the following must be met:

• You must be an employee
• Your baby must be born on or after 6th April 2025
• At the birth of the baby, you must be the baby’s parents, intended parents or partner to the baby’s mother and you must have or expect to have responsibility for raising the child
• The new-born must be admitted to neonatal care within the first 28 days of birth and must remain in neonatal are for at least 7 continuous days
• Neonatal care leave must be taken to provide care for the baby
• Neonatal care leave must be taken in blocks of a week
• In order to qualify for Neonatal care pay, the conditions are the same as the conditions for Maternity and Shared parental pay.
• Fathers may have to take additional time off work to support their baby and the mother for which they may have previously been paid for.

As well as the financial assistance that would come from the Act, there is the practical and emotional benefit of allowing parents to be at their child’s side without having to

work or use their existing leave. We frequently assist the families of babies who have required neonatal care and have witnessed the strain it places families under. Having to combine working with being at a sick child’s side is immensely challenging and places parents under significant stress and we wholeheartedly support a change which will mean that people do not need to worry about having to choose between their job and spending time with their baby.