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May 26, 2026
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Before Colorado’s NICU leave policy, many parents were forced to use up their parental leave or return to work if their baby required extended care in the NICU. Now, thanks to a new law, qualifying workers in Colorado can take up to 12 additional weeks of paid leave to cover their baby’s NICU stay. The legislation, which took effect on January 1, 2026, was championed by A Better Balance and legislators with personal experience as parents of babies who spent time in the NICU. A Better Balance is working with other states to expand the policy and on a federal bill for paid family leave.
This story is adapted from Bright Spots, a new mini-series within the Good Things podcast. Produced in partnership with Lemonada Media, the series features bite-sized stories of community impact that leave listeners feeling inspired and hopeful about what is possible. In a moment when so much feels uncertain, each story shines a light on the people who are making a difference in their communities right now, and the solutions that can make a difference in other communities, too. Listen to the episode below or wherever you get your podcasts, and check out Good Things for additional episodes.
Colorado resident Farra Lanzer-White returned to work immediately after her emergency c-section. Her job offered her 12 weeks of paid leave, but she needed to save it for when her daughter, Olivia, could be discharged from the hospital.
Olivia was born 11 weeks early and was hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Rather than use up all her leave before she could bring Olivia home, Farra set up a workstation crib side so she could attend to her job and her daughter at the same time despite still recovering from emergency surgery herself.
Today, Farra would not have to face this tradeoff. As of this year, qualified workers in Colorado can claim up to 12 additional weeks of paid leave to cover the duration of their baby’s NICU stay. Colorado parents have already filed 700 claims since January.
“It can be a really traumatic time that's filled with a lot of uncertainty. Having access to your baby without needing to worry about working and where money is going to come from is an absolute game changer,” shares Farra.
It can be a really traumatic time that's filled with a lot of uncertainty. Having access to your baby without needing to worry about working and where money is going to come from is an absolute game changer.
The outcomes for babies are better when their parents are present with them in the NICU, explains Tracy Marshall, director of Colorado’s paid leave program and former NICU nurse.
But before Colorado could ever have NICU leave, it first needed family leave.
For 10 years, A Better Balance, along with a coalition of advocacy groups in the state, tried to pass paid family leave through the Colorado legislature. When progress stalled, A Better Balance and their partners went directly to voters and asked them to vote by referendum on a paid family and medical leave program.
The ballot measure passed in 2020 with resounding bipartisan support across rural, suburban and urban parts of the state. The family and medical leave program, referred to as FAMLI, offers workers guaranteed leave to bond with a new child, care for oneself or a family member with a serious health condition, prepare for a family member’s military deployment or address the immediate impact of domestic violence or sexual assault.Jared Make, Vice President at A Better Balance, recently sat down with Gloria Riviera on Lemonada Media’s Good Things podcast to share more about his organization’s work and the impact of Colorado’s programs.
Jared points to research that shows the new programs are a boon not only for employees, but also for businesses that can now offer these programs in an affordable manner through a statewide insurance fund.
Still, while the FAMLI program was a historic win, it soon became clear that there was a gap in its provisions. “Very quickly, we started hearing and realizing that NICU parents were often forced to use up their time while the baby was in the NICU and have little to no time once the baby returned home,” explains Jared.
He and his team heard from parents across the board: mothers who lost their jobs when they ran out of leave and had to interview for new employment from the NICU, and exhausted parents working full days from the hospital before going home to care for their other children.
Thus began a push for designated NICU leave, led in part by two NICU parents in the Colorado legislature. Representative Yara Zokaie and Senator Jeff Bridges were both vocal advocates of the bill for NICU leave and spoke publicly about their experiences and the importance of filling this gap in Colorado’s FAMLI program.
As Representative Yara Zokaie shared, “I feel strongly that this should be a bipartisan issue, that we all agree that parents shouldn't have to choose between financial stability and being able to be present during this critical time for their children.”
I feel strongly that this should be a bipartisan issue, that we all agree that parents shouldn't have to choose between financial stability and being able to be present during this critical time for their children.
Colorado is still the only state with paid NICU leave—but other states are taking note. A Better Balance has heard from dozens of advocates and lawmakers who are interested in learning more about Colorado’s success and how they might be able to replicate it in their states. And the interest, Jared notes, is bipartisan.
A Better Balance is hopeful that within the next two years, more states will pass NICU leave. They are also continuing their work to pass a federal bill that would provide comprehensive paid leave for all Americans.
Families can contact A Better Balance’s free and confidential legal helpline for direct support with workplace issues or to learn more about their rights. A Better Balance also welcomes those with firsthand experience facing challenges in work-family policies to join their Community Advocate program.
Hear more about Colorado’s new policies in the full Bright Spots episode, out now wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about A Better Balance, visit: https://www.abetterbalance.org/.
