The Colorado State Legislature voted to expand Colorado’s paid family and medical leave program (The CO FAMLI Act) to include an additional 12 weeks of paid leave for parents with a baby in the NICU.
The following is a statement from Jared Make, the Colorado-based Vice President of A Better Balance:
“Colorado’s FAMLI program has been a lifeline for the more than 160,000 workers in Colorado who have used the program to care for themselves and their loved ones since it took effect in 2024. Now, the program is poised to be expanded to cover the needs of parents with children in the NICU, who are navigating an incredibly stressful – and often costly – time.
The last thing new parents of babies in the NICU should be worrying about is losing income or their jobs. An additional 12 weeks of leave will enable NICU parents to be present during this critical time without sacrificing their families’ financial security.
We commend Colorado lawmakers for continuing to model the kind of strong, comprehensive state paid family and medical leave program we hope to see enacted across the country. We urge Governor Polis to sign this legislation swifty.”
