New
legislation in New York would
correct a dangerous and inequitable gap in our current Paid Family Leave law affecting the families of stillborn babies.
As the law is currently written,
partners of mothers and birthing parents qualify for Paid Family Leave but
birthing parents of stillborn children
do not qualify for Paid Family Leave. As a result, up to 4 NY mothers per day are having their
previously approved paid leave REVOKED while they recover from childbirth and the trauma of losing their baby.
All mothers and birthing parents deserve the time to heal their bodies after birth. Research shows that women who deliver a stillborn baby are almost 5 times more likely to experience severe and potentially life-threatening maternal complications after birth. These mothers are twice as likely to be Black, which means they are also 3.5 to 9 TIMES as likely to lose their lives as a result of pregnancy/birth, depending on where in NY State they live. Up to 60% of maternal deaths take place in the postpartum period, with 2 out 3 deaths happening in the first 6 weeks after birth - the exact time period when stillbirth parents are being stripped of their leave.
This
bipartisan, common sense, common decency legislation to amend this unintended gap in the law has already passed
unanimously in the State Senate, but was stalled in the Assembly despite co-sponsorship from 2/3 of Assemblymembers from both parties.
We are calling on Governor Hochul to uphold her commitment to maternal health and close this dangerous loophole through this year's state budget to fasttrack this desperately needed measure and immediately end the injustice in the current law.For more information & links to media coverage, please see:
pushpregnancy.org/nypfl