FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 20, 2021
CONTACT
Neil Sroka, neil@paidleave.us, 847-219-8491
30 leading organizations supporting families with infants in Newborn Intensive Care Units urge Congress to pass national paid leave
Organized by the NICU Parent Network, the groups say national paid family & medical leave would be “life-changing,” lead to better outcomes for over 380,000 families each year
This morning, 30 leading organizations that support Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) families sent members of Congress a letter urging the passage of the national paid leave program currently under consideration in the Build Back Better budget reconciliation legislation.
Organized with the help of the NICU Parent Network, the groups signing the letter hail from 17 different states across the country and represent the more than 380,000 families with a baby in the NICU each year.
“A national paid leave program would be a game-changer for our most vulnerable babies and their families,” said Keira Sorrells, Founder and Executive Director of NICU Parent Network. “Too many parents face the heartache and devastation of having to leave their new baby fighting for its life in the hospital and return to work, because they have no paid leave. Congress needs to pass national paid leave legislation now, for our babies and for our families.”
The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world with no national paid leave policy, and this call for action comes just as Congress is debating the contents of the upcoming budget reconciliation package -- which currently includes 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave as a direct benefit to workers, paid for by the federal government at no cost to employers.
The letter highlights numerous studies that demonstrate how babies experience better outcomes when families are able to be physically present in the NICU, and says, “The very future of our families is dependent on this critical lifeline.”
According to the studies cited in the letter, parents’ ability to bond with their baby is directly related to an infant’s shortened hospital stay, improved mental health for parents, improved rates of breastfeeding, improved long term behavioral and cognitive outcomes of the children, and overall improved family cohesion and functioning. Furthermore, the presence and involvement of parents has been documented to have positive effects on the growth and development of the premature infant brain.
The letter also cites how paid leave is a key element of addressing racial, class, and gender disparities in this country, as families of color and parents in low-wage jobs are among the most likely to have a preterm or critically ill newborn and the least likely to have access to any paid leave from their employer.
“Over a thousand new families endure the trauma of having a baby in the NICU each day,” Sorrells emphasized. “Our families can’t wait. We need Congress to pass national paid leave now.”
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About NICU Parent Network
NPN (NICU Parent Network) is the premier professional organization for NICU Parent Leaders who collectively support and represent the needs and best interests of NICU families. Representing over 40 NICU Support Organization members across the United States, the UK, and Australia, we envision a world where all NICU families are an essential and integral member of their baby’s care team. Learn more at http://nicuparentnetwork.org
About PL+US
PL+US (Paid Leave for the United States) is the national campaign to win paid family and medical leave for every working person in the US. PL+US has helped win paid family leave for nearly 8 million people through our transformative workplace campaigns at companies like Walmart, Starbucks, CVS and more in partnership with employees, employers, consumers, and investors. Learn more at: http://paidleave.us/