Children's Commissioner Urges 12 Weeks' Paid Leave at 90% Pay for Parents of Seriously Ill Children
Updated
Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 31
Children's Commissioner Urges 12 Weeks' Paid Leave at 90% Pay for Parents of Seriously Ill Children
3 articles · Updated · bbc.co.uk · Aug 31
Summary
Dame Rachel de Souza called for a legal right to 12 weeks of leave at 90% of normal pay for parents of seriously ill or disabled children, saying families face lost earnings and "immense pressure."
The proposal aims to stop parents being forced to choose between staying at a child's bedside and keeping their job; she also backed a right to return to work after extended leave.
De Souza further urged unpaid carer's leave to rise to 10 days from five and called for a separate form of paid carer's leave.
The intervention lands as the government consultation on financial support and employment rights for families caring for ill children closes Monday, with ministers saying they will move quickly on possible reforms.
Campaigners including Hugh Menai-Davis's parents have pushed for change since their son died of cancer aged six in 2021, arguing parents currently have no specific legal right to remain with a seriously ill child in hospital.