|
 October 16, 2025
|
|
This is an official communication from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Division. |
|
Dear Colorado Healthcare Providers,
Beginning in December 2025, Colorado will introduce a national first: paid Neonatal Care Leave. This is a new FAMLI benefit designed for parents whose newborns need intensive medical care immediately after birth. This is a huge milestone for Colorado as well as our country — and I wanted to take the time to outline the most important things for you to know:
-
Neonatal Care Leave is separate from Bonding Leave. It is also separate from Care For A Family Member. Parents will be able to take Neonatal Care Leave, then shift to Bonding Leave once their newborn makes it home.
-
Providers will be able to sign a new “Neonatal Care Certification” form, rather than provide any internal patient documents. The FAMLI form will verify the information our team needs to certify the claim, and will be available directly in the FAMLI Healthcare Provider Portal.
-
We’re hosting information sessions to gather input from neonatal intensive care nurses, case managers, and other healthcare teams. Please register your interest and help us help your patients — email us at cdle_famli_communications@state.co.us.
Below, you’ll find an overview of what Neonatal Care Leave will cover, and how you can start preparing now. Final program rules will be communicated in our next newsletter, and we’ll continue sharing updates throughout 2025 to ensure your teams have everything they need before the benefit launches.
Thank you for the compassionate care you provide Colorado families every day. I look forward to partnering with you as we continue to build the best services for families throughout our country.
Sincerely,
Tracy Marshall
BSN, RN, CCM, CDMS, SHRM-SCP
Division Director, Colorado FAMLI Division
|
|
|
 Quick Facts: Neonatal Care Leave Coming 2026
Everything you need to know about the nation’s first Neonatal Care Leave for parents with an infant in intensive care.
Additional 12 Weeks Of Leave
Neonatal Care Leave is a 12-week bank of FAMLI leave for parents whose newborn requires care in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) or higher level of care immediately after birth. It can be combined with the 12 weeks of FAMLI leave available for other claim types.
Distinct From Bonding or Care For Family Leave
Neonatal Care Leave is distinct from Bonding Leave. Bonding Leave is meant for time with an infant or new child while at home. Neonatal Care Leave will provide up to 12 weeks of paid leave from the time an infant enters intensive care to the time that infant leaves intensive care.
Parents will be able to take both Neonatal Care Leave and Bonding Leave, even back-to-back, by filing separate claims within the My FAMLI+ portal.
Simple Documentation Process
As with other claims, FAMLI will accept admittance paperwork. We have also created a new “Neonatal Care Certification Form” that verifies the information FAMLI needs to process the claim. That form will be available for parents to download directly in the My FAMLI+ portal.
Portal Access Begins December 2025
Neonatal Care Leave will be claimable as a leave type in the My FAMLI+ portal starting December 2025. This means parents with newborns in intensive care before the new year begins can file their Neonatal Care Leave claim in December, in order to begin taking take Neonatal Care Leave immediately beginning January 1, 2026 if their infant is still in intensive care.
Eligible Leave Begins January 1, 2026
Neonatal Care Leave will be available to parents January 1, 2026.
|
|
 What You Can Do Now
How you can help make neonatal care leave work best for your patients and practice.
|
|
What to Expect Next
With clear guides and early updates, you’ll have time to plan ahead, with no surprises.
Fall 2025 — Early Prep
From now until the new year: FAMLI begins communicating how Neonatal Care Leave will work; healthcare providers begin educating themselves and preparing to inform their patients.
-
FAMLI: releases Neonatal Care Leave toolkit (including FAQ); hosts information sessions and webinars for hospitals, NICU units, and discharge planning teams; prepares training materials.
-
Healthcare Providers: attend an information session to learn what documentation will look like; share questions or feedback to help shape final materials; identify who in your organization (social work, case management, discharge) will handle leave verification.
October 2025 — Final Rules Adopted
On October 31st, FAMLI will submit the final rules defining eligibility, documentation, and benefit structure for Neonatal Care Leave.
-
FAMLI: Publishes the final rules and distributes a summary fact sheet for providers; updates online resources.
-
Healthcare Providers: Review the rules summary; update any internal references or patient education materials you use for FAMLI leave with collateral provided by FAMLI.
December 2025 — Get Ready to Launch
Provider-facing resources and training will be available ahead of the new benefit.
-
FAMLI: Begins accepting Neonatal Care Leave claims through My FAMLI+. Continues conducting information sessions for healthcare providers.
-
Healthcare Providers: Train staff who complete medical certifications or coordinate discharge planning. Include FAMLI resources with Neonatal Care Leave information in intake & discharge paperwork. Inform parents whose infants are anticipated to be in intensive care on January 1, 2026 of available Neonatal Care Leave.
January 1, 2026 — Neonatal Care Leave Begins
Families can begin applying for paid leave under the new benefit.
-
FAMLI: Begins processing Neonatal Care Leave claims through the MyFAMLI+ system.
-
Healthcare Providers: Support families by verifying neonatal care when requested. Direct parents and caregivers to FAMLI resources for claim assistance.
|
|
“The addition of Neonatal Care Leave recognizes the unique intensity families face when their infant begins life in the NICU.
Together, these programs help stabilize families, and strengthen Colorado’s workforce, communities, and healthcare system.”
Brigid Jones, MBA, BSN, RN-NIC, FACMPE
Healthcare Business Transformation – JBE Consultants
|
|
 |
|
|
Closing Thoughts
When a newborn needs intensive care, the last thing families should worry about is how they’ll afford to keep the lights on or stay in their home. Neonatal Care Leave helps remove that worry — so you can help Coloradans focus on healing, not hardship.
This is the first of several updates you’ll receive about Neonatal Care Leave, each one designed to keep information clear, timely, and easy to act on.
Together, we can make sure that when a newborn needs extra care, families and providers have the steady support they deserve.
Thank you for being there with Colorado families every day.
|
|
Reference Shelf
Help your patients understand their paid-leave options! Include these resources in your intake and discharge paperwork today.
|
|
Add FAMLI to Your Contacts
Make sure to add cdle_famli-alerts@state.co.us to your email contacts. It will help make sure that you hear right away when there is a problem with your account, so we can get it sorted before you face any late fees.
|
|
Contact FAMLI
The FAMLI Contact Center is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. The best time to call is between 7:30 and 10 a.m. You can reach us at 1-866-CO-FAMLI (1-866-263-2654) and for general questions at: CDLE_FAMLI_info@state.co.us.
|
|
|
|
|
