Stellan Skarsgård leaned into self-deprecating humor while accepting the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Male Actor in a Motion Picture for Sentimental Value at the 2026 ceremony.
Colorado is about to do something no other state has done for parents with babies in the NICU.
Thanks to a bill signed by Col. Governor Jared Polis on May 30, parents with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit will receive an additional 12 weeks of paid family leave to better support their child.
The law builds on the state’s FAMLI leave program, which currently offers up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave for new parents.
Starting in January 2026, families with kids in the NICU will be eligible for a total of 24 weeks paid leave.
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This new type of leave — known as Neonatal Care Leave — makes Colorado “the first state in the country to support parents with newborns receiving intensive care with additional paid leave.”
“Having a newborn in the NICU is incredibly challenging, and during this time parents should not have to think about whether they can take the time off of work to care for their little one,” said Polis.
State Rep. Yara Zokaie (D-Larimer County) was one of the biggest supporters of the bill.
Zokaie, a mother of three sons under the age of 10, was met with a dilemma when her youngest son had an unexpected stay in the NICU after his birth. She was forced to make a difficult decision.
“At that time where I should’ve been able to be fully present for him and for my family, I was working to make sure we could make rent that month,” she said per FAMLI. “It was incredibly scary as a new parent.”
Colorado’s additional paid family leave comes at the perfect time
In an interview with 9News, published Sept. 25, Zokaie said the new bill gives parents the time they need to bond with their child.
“You don't really start that family bonding time when you have a sick kid,” she explained. “You're completely focused on getting that child better, and you don't always know how long that's going to take.”
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Not only will parents get 12 weeks to be with their child during their stay in the NICU, but they will still receive an additional 12 weeks with their child after they’re discharged and sent home.
The new law comes at the perfect time.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, “the percentage of infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the United States rose from 8.7% in 2016 to 9.8% in 2023.”
In Colorado, preterm births have increased 11.2% since 2016— with 5,900 babies being born early in 2023, per FAMLI.
The state’s Neonatal Care Leave could pave the way for similar advancements in other states.
In August, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law the Neonatal Intensive Care Leave Act (NICLA), which requires between 10 and 20 extra days of family leave for NICU babies.
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Unlike Colorado, Illinois’ law only allows for additional unpaid leave — and isn’t effective until June 2026.
