Labour is promising an additional four weeks of paid parental leave for partners if re-elected. This will be paid for by the Government and cost $230 million over four years, according to the party. This comes as frustration is building for parents who are forced to go back to work due to financial pressure.
Nora Allerby has two kids. She had both via emergency caesarean section. She says the newly-announced policy would make a big difference for those māmā who might have to undergo surgery.
“Allowing the pāpā to stay home for those six weeks paid would be beneficial. I can only talk on emergency caesarean cause that’s all I’ve ever had with my two babies, but those first two six weeks were absolutely crucial,” she said.
Allerby, who carried her youngest during the Covid-19 pandemic, took six months off mahi once she went on maternity leave at 39 weeks.
“My tāne, unfortunately, only could get two weeks unpaid, so he only spent one week at home 'cause that’s what we could only afford and then he went back to kura in the second week.”
Once the baby was born, Allerby’s whānau duties had to take a back seat to looking after herself after the major surgical procedure.
“I couldn’t lift anything, and I was just lucky enough that I had my māmā take time off as well to help the whānau. But it was a struggle, especially if you got other tamariki at home, doing the school drop-off, the school pickups.
“It’s tough, especially if māmā hasn’t had a good night's sleep or, like myself, I couldn’t drive, so having that extra adult at home would’ve definitely helped.”
She eventually returned to relief teaching in term 3 and term 4 to boost their finances – a move made possible with the support of the school.
“My kura was very, very accommodating to bring pēpi into mahi with me, so it was a win for reliever shortage and also our bank accounts. Baby absolutely loved it and the kids loved having him around.”
But going back to work early, and eventually enrolling their daughter into daycare, meant the pair missed out on significant milestones every parent wishes to experience.
“My poor partner missed her [baby’s] pito falling off and small things like that. We had to make sacrifices for him going back to mahi,” Allerby said.
“I missed out on her crawling, walking, and trying all these new kai 'cause I was busy trying to pay for daycare.
“If we had a little bit of extra time to have as a whānau, [it] will be real beneficial, ā-hinengaro, ā-wairua [mental health, spiritual health].”
By Kataraina Anneff and Mariana Whareaitu
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