Campaign for premature babies & families
Can you ask your MP to put the unique needs of premature babies and their families high on the agenda? Thanks to the collective power of your voices, we’ve already changed the law to extend paid parental leave for neonatal families. Now we’re asking you to speak up for premature babies again.
Become a campaigner
Click the button to submit your email address and receive campaign-related news and opportunities:
Contact your MP
It’s simple to find out how to contact your MP and ask them some questions. You can arrange to meet them in person or send a letter or email. You might like to tell them a bit about your own family – or why you’re speaking up for premature babies – and ask them these questions for starters:
“1. How will you improve support for families of premature babies in our constituency?
2. The mental health of parents and carers after neonatal care is suffering. What will you do to address this?
3. Have you seen The Smallest Things’ Manifesto? Will you engage with the charity about how you can influence government on these important issues? ”
You can also send them a link to our manifesto and let them know to contact us at hello@thesmallestthings.org
End the postcode lottery for neonatal follow-up
New for Summer 2026:
Write to your MP to ask them to end the neonatal follow-up postcode lottery for children born prematurely.
The House of Lords (2024) Preterm Birth Inquiry found that the recommended 4-year follow-up assessment is rarely happening, highlighting this as a failure of implementation. They recommended national action to ensure consistent follow-up care and adherence to the guidance - yet parents and children are still waiting for action.
Join The Smallest Things campaign to end this postcode lottery by writing to your MP today!
Make Neonatal Leave available to all
Self-employed parents and carers miss out on essential Neonatal Leave. Ask your MP to make sure all families are included in the new entitlements
Neonatal Leave & Pay entitlements came into effect in April 2025, following a decade of parent-led campaigning by The Smallest Things. They are a huge step forward in supporting neonatal families, allowing employed parents to spend precious time with their babies. But the entitlements don’t apply to parents who are self-employed. Can you write to your MP using this template letter (or writing your own) to ask them to include self-employed parents too?
Spread the word
Share our social posts, send your contacts a link to this page or have an old-fashioned conversation…. there are lots of quick and easy ways you can support our work.
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