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Colorado, Illinois Adopt NICU Leave as Parents Press for Federal Bill

In January, Colorado became the first U.S. state to adopt paid NICU leave, offering up to 12 weeks for parents with newborns in intensive care. Illinois will implement a policy next month guaranteeing 10 to 20 days of unpaid leave.
The plight of NICU families has long been a 'blind spot' in existing leave policies, according to Sahra Cahoon, executive director of Love for Lily, a Colorado-based organization. Parents often face impossible choices between working and being present for hospitalized infants.
Nearly 800 people have applied for Colorado's neonatal care leave since January, according to Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado's Family and Medical Leave Insurance Division. Dr. Karen Puopolo, section chief for Newborn Medicine at Pennsylvania Hospital, says parental presence has "a multitude of advantages both ways."
U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen, a Colorado Democrat, is drafting a federal bill to add 12 weeks of NICU leave to the Family and Medical Leave Act. Inimai Chettiar, president of A Better Balance, said "We think it's promising in terms of bipartisan support."
Advocates aim to replace the nation's 'patchwork' of leave policies that differ across states, cities, and companies. Rebecca Herrera-Moreno, inspired by Colorado's law last year, is now pushing for similar provisions in California, joining a growing national movement.

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Tiny patients, big fight: NICU parents win leave in 2 states and push for more

Parents with newborns in intensive care units have long faced a difficult but overlooked plight: Any parental leave they might have does not take into account the days or even months their newborns spend in intensive care.

8 hours ago·United States

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