Emily Doring, director of the Western New York Perinatal Bereavement Network, focuses on the physical and emotional effects of child loss on parents. Dealing with this grief, she supports a New York Senate bill mandating paid family leave for parents grieving the loss of a stillbirth or neonatal child. Sponsored by State Sen. Tim Kennedy, the bill aims to amend workers’ compensation laws, offering relief for any family facing reproductive loss. Despite this bill not going to a floor vote, Kennedy still prioritizes its passage. As of Jan. 1, California enforced a new law, obligating workplaces with over five employees to give bereaved parents up to five days off. Kennedy believes that New York could benefit from a similar measure.

A paramount topic in this article is the pursuit of a more empathetic, supportive system via paid family leave for parents suffering the loss of a child. One of the most critical steps to take when navigating through these situations is reaching out to relevant organizations and governmental bodies for support. In California, for instance, parents can contact EDD (Employment Development Department) for assistance on Paid Family Leave (PFL). A reliable source for making this contact could be eddcaller.com, which provides guidelines on how to get a hold of EDD for PFL commendably.