Colorado launches paid NICU leave for newborn parents

Colorado became the first U.S. state to offer paid leave specifically for parents of newborns in intensive care, a policy that takes effect as advocates push for similar protections at the federal level and in other states. The state adopted paid NICU leave in January, providing up to 12 weeks for parents of babies in neonatal intensive care, in addition to existing parental leave benefits under Colorado’s family and medical leave program. Illinois is set to begin a more limited policy next month that guarantees between 10 and 20 days of unpaid NICU leave.

The push comes as many families face a practical dilemma: parents often must decide whether to keep working to preserve their leave for after a baby returns home, even while the child remains hospitalized. In one example described by advocates, Fort Collins couple Marlon White and Farra LanzerWhite both returned to work shortly after the birth of their daughter Olivia at 29 weeks. White returned the next day; LanzerWhite returned two days later. For months, they continued working and managing appointments even as Olivia’s breathing episodes prompted repeated alarms and LanzerWhite prepared for open-heart surgery related to a...