Neonatal leave timeline
Run entirely by parents who have experienced the premature birth of a baby, The Smallest Things charity has campaigned hard for eight years, calling for extended paid parental leave for neonatal families. As the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill becomes law, we take a look back at how we got here
“Parents have more than enough on their plates without worrying about their parental leave running out and having to return to work before their precious newborn comes home. That’s not fair and it’s not right. So we’re also proposing a new neonatal leave and pay entitlement to make this time a bit easier for parents whose babies need to spend a prolonged period in neonatal care. ”
In 2015 we stepped up our campaign to extend parental leave for families following premature birth, launching our #NotMatLeave petition (now 357,000+ signatures) and holding our World Prematurity Month event in Parliament to raise awareness. Several parents spoke openly about their neonatal journeys, including trustee Sarah Miles.
We worked with Steve Reed MP on the Premature Birth Bill (with cross-party support) in October 2016 which unfortunately fell at the second reading.
In summer 2016 we marched to Parliament to present our change.org petition, calling on Government to extend parental leave for families following premature birth.
In December 2016 we met with then Business Minister, Margot James MP along with Steve Reed MP. Our campaign and meeting with the Minister was instrumental in the government announcing its 2017 Mothers Day pledge to introduce new ACAS Guidelines on how employers could best support staff whose babies are admitted to neonatal care.
In February 2018 we launched the Employer with Heart charter, asking businesses not to extend leave for their staff whose babies are born premature, rather than wait for government to make this change. Employers continue to sign up to our Employer with Heart charter, meaning tens of thousands of employees are now contractually entitled to extended leave if they have a premature baby. We currently have more than 62 organisations in our Employer with Heart Hall of Fame!
In 2018 we welcomed BBC Presenter, Rachel Burden, to be our special guest speaker celebrating World Prematurity Day at London’s City Hall, an event sponsored by Sony Music UK. At the busy event we thanked all of our Employers with Heart and encouraged many more to sign up too.
In 2018/19 we worked with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), hosting focus groups of parents, sharing first hand experiences to feed into their short, focused review into parental leave provision for families in neonatal care.
In December 2018 we met then Business Minister Kelly Tolhurst with David Linden MP and Steve Reed MP to bring her attention to the need for neonatal leave and pay.
In June 2019 The Smallest Things signed an open letter to the Government calling for the publication of their internal review into parental leave for parents of premature, sick and multiple babies needing neonatal care.
In July 2019 we welcomed the news that the Government would consult on plans to introduce a ‘Neonatal Leave’ for families in neonatal intensive care.
We worked with government officials at BEIS on the Neonatal Leave and Pay consultation (closed October 2019) to gather opinion and shape future policy. We continued to put pressure on the government to change the law so that all families of premature babies have the time they need to bond and recover from the trauma of NICU.
In early March 2020 we celebrated – after years of campaigning Neonatal Leave and Pay entitlements were announced in the Chancellor's Budget, but were disappointed to discover that new legislation wasn’t planned until 2023.
We didn’t stop through the pandemic: in 2020 we gave evidence to the House of Commons Petitions Committee investigating the impact of Covid-19 on maternity and parental leave.
14. In 2021 we published our latest ‘After NICU’ report (above) highlighting once again shocking statistics about the long-lasting impact of having a premature baby and life after neonatal care.
15. In November 2021 we held our first ever ‘virtual festival’ for World Prematurity Day, opened by David Linden MP, bringing together parents, professionals, politicians and employers who are all working to make the world a better place for children born prematurely and their families.
16. Throughout 2021, 2022 and 2023, we’ve continued to work with BEIS (and colleagues at Bliss and Twins Trust) to develop policy for proposed Neonatal Leave & Pay legislation.
Founder Catriona Ogilvy and Trustee Sarah Miles in Parliament with Stuart C McDonald MP (front, centre) and colleagues.
17. We are delighted that Stuart McDonald MP (above) chose to put forward the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill when his name was first out of the Private Members’ Bill ballot in 2022. We worked closely with him and team on plans.
18. In April 2023 we relaunched our Employer with Heart charter to make it equal for both parents. Family-friendly companies and organisations continue to sign up, giving parents of premature babies the support they need during traumatic times.
19. We were in the House of Commons to cheer the passing of the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill through its three readings between June 2022 and January 2023. The Bill went on to pass three readings in the House of Lords and received Royal Assent on 23 May 2023. We celebrated the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Act while also urging the government to reconsider the timeline that meant it will not be available to neonatal families until April 2025.
20. Today, the fight continues…