Nicole Mahoney, a single mother from Adelaide, faced unexpected challenges when her twin sons, Angus and Hugh, were born 12 weeks premature in March 2020. Each weighed a mere 1.1 kilograms, necessitating extensive stays in the neonatal intensive care unit—three months for one twin and five months for the other. During this stressful period, Mahoney spent countless hours waiting at the hospital, often unable to hold her babies, as their conditions fluctuated.
Initially, Mahoney had planned a 12-month maternity leave from her government job in New South Wales, but the premature births dramatically altered her plans. Of her maternity leave, half was consumed by hospital stays, leading her to discover the inflexibility of the federal paid parental leave scheme. “From the day they were born, my leave had to start,” she lamented, despite having sick leave that could have been utilised had they been hospitalised after birth rather than in utero.
As her leave progressed, Mahoney found herself attending medical appointments and protecting her twins from infections due to their compromised immune systems. With healthcare professionals advising against childcare until the boys turned one, Mahoney felt trapped navigating a system that did not provide adequate support for parents in her situation.
In light of her experiences, Mahoney has joined forces with the Miracle Babies Foundation, advocating for changes to the Paid Parental Leave legislation. They propose that parents of premature babies receive an extra week of paid leave for each week the baby is hospitalised beyond two weeks, up to a total of 14 weeks. The campaign also calls for an additional two weeks of support for fathers and partners.
Presently, eligible parents can claim up to 20 weeks of paid parental leave at the national minimum wage, while partners receive two weeks. The scheme is set to expand to 26 weeks by 2026. However, the recent parliamentary petition by the Miracle Babies Foundation highlighted the insufficiency of current policies, garnering over 10,000 signatures. While the Australian Public Service Commission updated its enterprise agreement to include extra leave for government employee parents of premature babies, this adjustment does not extend to all Australian workers.
Kylie Pussell, the foundation’s CEO, emphasised that many parents experience significant financial burdens from their babies’ hospital stays, making a strong case for equal leave provisions for all parents of premature infants. The stress of returning home without adequate leave often forces families to reconsider their employment situations or prematurely place vulnerable infants in childcare.
Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth acknowledged the difficulties faced by families of preterm newborns and stated that the Albanese government has made substantial improvements to the Paid Parental Leave scheme. However, Mahoney hopes for further enhancement to allow parents the crucial time needed to bond with their fragile infants, urging policymakers to consider the unique challenges faced by these families.