Parents of prematurely born children are set to potentially gain significant relief in their parental leave rights thanks to a new citizen proposal. The proposal, which has just been approved, has already garnered over five thousand signatures in just two days. Behind this initiative are Pernille Louise Roherberg Kudsk from Copenhagen and Olivia Toftegaard Eriksen from Guldborgsund. They find the current parental leave system inadequate for parents who have experienced premature births.
The proposal entails extending the parental leave period by the number of days the child has been hospitalized, with no upper limit on the extension. Currently, the system allows a maximum extension of three months for mothers, while fathers have no options for extensions. According to the two initiators, this situation may force parents to send their children into daycare too early if they cannot afford unpaid leave.
Olivia Toftegaard Eriksen expresses concern about the health and developmental consequences that early enrollment in daycare can have on prematurely born children. She emphasizes the need for support for parents when the parental leave period ends, as children are often not ready to start in daycare.
Both Pernille Roherberg Kudsk and Olivia Toftegaard Eriksen have personally experienced the challenges associated with premature childbirth. They describe a parental leave marked by anxiety and sleep deprivation due to worries about their child’s health after returning home from the hospital.
The popularity of the citizen proposal is rapidly increasing, and if it reaches 50,000 signatures by February 23, 2025, it will be brought before the Danish Parliament (Folketinget). Politicians will then be obligated to either vote on the proposal or conclude with a report explaining why it will not be put to a vote.
Interestingly, this proposal follows a recent amendment to the parental leave law, where parents of twins and triplets received an extension of their parental leave by an additional 26 weeks. This change indicates a genuine possibility for citizen proposals to lead to concrete legislative changes if they receive sufficient support.