Children's commissioner urges legal right to paid leave for seriously ill kids' parents
Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza is calling for a statutory entitlement to 12 weeks of paid leave at 90% pay for parents caring for seriously ill or disabled children.
Dame Rachel de Souza, the children’s commissioner, has pressed the government to create a legal right to 12 weeks of paid leave at 90% of normal earnings for parents of children with serious illnesses or disabilities. She highlighted the “immense pressure” and loss of income families endure and stressed that parents should not be forced to abandon their jobs to stay at a hospital bedside. De Souza also called for a guaranteed right to return to work after long absences and for increasing statutory unpaid carer’s leave from five to ten days, alongside introducing a paid carer’s leave scheme.
The demand aligns with a campaign by Frances and Ceri Menai-Davis, whose six-year-old son died of cancer in 2021, urging legislation that would obligate employers to provide three months’ salary to parents facing a child’s serious illness. The government’s consultation on reforms for families and unpaid carers is slated to close on Monday, and Kate Dearden, minister for the future of work, said the stories heard have moved her to act quickly on strengthening employment rights for these families.
Why it matters
Ensuring paid leave for parents of seriously ill children could reduce financial hardship and keep families together during critical health crises.
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