Colorado is a state that knows how to set the stage and take the lead. For example, in 1893, the men of Colorado were the first to grant women the right to vote through a popular vote instead of through a constitutional amendment or legislative decision; in 2012, Colorado was the first state to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for adults; and in May 2025, a new law was signed to provide additional paid leave for parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Colorado voters passed a ballot initiative in 2020, which is funded through a payroll tax by employers and employees, that allows for 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave each year. Benefits began in January 2024.
Now, a separate benefit is taking effect just 2 years later. On January 1, 2026, Colorado parents whose babies need care in the NICU can apply for an additional 12 weeks of paid time off. This means that for parents who file claims, there’s the potential to have up to 24 weeks total of Family and Medical Leave Insurance; and possibly 28 weeks, if the birthing parent experiences complications related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Healthy Mom&Baby magazine wanted to hear from parents who experienced having their infants in the NICU and requested feedback on how such a policy could have benefited their families.
Britt Frisk Pados, PhD, RN, NNP-BC, IBCLC, FAHA (Gave birth in Massachusetts)
“Paid parental leave while our twins were in the NICU would have made our experience profoundly better. I had a complicated pregnancy and was in and out of the hospital and on bed rest for 11 weeks. At the time, my husband did not have parental leave. By the time our babies were born, he had used up most of his vacation and sick days to be with me when I was acutely hospitalized or to help take me to and from the many outpatient monitoring appointments because I was not allowed to drive. He was able to take a few days off when the babies were born, but once I was discharged, he went back to work in order to save a few days for when the babies were eventually able to go home. I had a cesarean section and was told that I could drive once I was just taking ibuprofen and acetaminophen for pain management. So, once I was discharged, I only took those medications for pain so that I could drive myself to the hospital to be with my babies while he went to work. He would go in early so that he could leave early and spend some time with us in the evening in the NICU. This was incredibly hard for both of us. Being in the NICU is not how any parent wants to spend their early days, weeks, or months with their baby or babies, but having paid leave would have made the experience much easier for us.”
Shannon Francois, MSN-E, RNC-OB (Gave birth in Florida)
“In 2019, I was pregnant with twins while working as a nurse for a concierge medical practice, where I assisted with routine house calls. At 25 weeks, I went into preterm labor and, following a short hospital stay, was placed on bedrest at home. Due to the change in my work capacity, my employer reduced my pay by $15 per hour. I continued working remotely until I experienced premature rupture of membranes at 30 weeks, requiring an emergency delivery.
Both of my babies were admitted to the NICU, one for 7 weeks and the other for 11 weeks. During this time, I was unable to work, as I spent each day commuting to the hospital to be with my newborns, feed them, and deliver breast milk. Sadly, I had to resign from my nursing position, as I was not able to return to work after the standard 12-week postpartum period. I had not accrued enough paid time off and, therefore, received no compensation during my maternity leave.
My husband took on two jobs to support our family while I remained home to care for our medically fragile twins. Soon after their birth, the COVID-19 pandemic began, making it unsafe for me to return to work in a health care setting with two vulnerable infants at home. Paid family leave would have provided critical financial relief during this period. The combination of economic strain, my traumatic birth experience, and the ongoing health concerns for our twins made those first 6 months incredibly overwhelming.”
Thank you Dr. Pados and Shannon Francois for your transparency in sharing how paid leave for parents with children in the NICU could ease the burdens and stress during such an important life transition. Advocacy for paid leave continues with state-by-state efforts.
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