The Second Reading marks a huge step forward for parents across Britain being able to take longer paid leave when they have a baby in neonatal care.
The Bill is being sponsored in the Lords by The Baroness Wyld, with the support of Bliss, the UK’s leading charity for sick and premature babies, which has campaigned for this legislation for over a decade.
Baroness Wyld said: "I am delighted to sponsor the Neonatal Care (Leave and Pay) Bill as it progresses through the House of Lords.
“It will come as a relief both to families with a baby in neonatal care and employers who will be able to support them through such a difficult experience."
If the Bill becomes law it’s expected around 60,000 parents every year will benefit from up to 12 weeks’ paid leave when their newborn babies are in neonatal care.
The current lack of extra maternity and paternity leave entitlement when a baby is born premature or sick means that many parents have to return to work while their babies are in hospital.
With only two weeks of paternity leave available, many fathers and non-birthing parents return to work long before their babies are well enough to go home.
Tom Padden’s son Joseph was born 101 days early and spent just over 15 weeks in hospital receiving neonatal care.
Padden said: “I felt as though I missed out on being a part of any key decisions that had to be made immediately as part of Joseph’s care. I also missed the two weeks of actual paternity leave at home where you bond with your baby - mine had been spent on the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).
“Financially, even if my employer had offered it, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to take time off work unpaid.”