FAMLI Neonatal Care Leave
Colorado Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) Division
If my newborn is in the NICU, can I get extra paid leave without using up all of my bonding leave?
Needs recheck — read this as research, not as a benefit you can rely on yet.
What this is
Beginning January 1, 2026, Colorado has a separate paid leave bank for parents whose newborn requires NICU or higher-level intensive care immediately after birth. It gives up to 12 weeks during the intensive-care stay, separate from your ordinary FAMLI bank, with your Bonding Leave still available after discharge.
Why it matters after birth
Without this, weeks in the NICU would eat the leave you needed for bringing your baby home. This keeps those two things apart.
You may qualify if
Eligible parents include parents, step-parents, adoptive and foster parents, and people standing in loco parentis under state guidance, where the newborn requires NICU or higher-level intensive care immediately after birth. The general FAMLI benefit formula applies.
What you actually get
Up to 12 weeks of paid leave during the intensive-care stay, from a bank separate from ordinary FAMLI leave, followed by separate Bonding Leave after discharge. The general FAMLI benefit formula applies to payment.
How long it lasts
Up to 12 weeks during the intensive-care stay, then Bonding Leave after discharge as a separate claim. Starting July 24, 2026, parents can end a neonatal claim from the Report Leave Hours screen when the hospitalization ends.
What it costs
This is wage replacement under FAMLI rather than a cost to you; the general FAMLI formula applies.
How to use it
Apply through My FAMLI+ and select Neonatal Care Leave. Hospital admission paperwork or a Neonatal Care Certification is accepted. When the hospitalization ends, you can close the neonatal claim from the Report Leave Hours screen (available from July 24, 2026) and then take Bonding Leave.
What you'll need
Hospital admission paperwork or a Neonatal Care Certification.
Important limitations
This applies where the newborn requires NICU or higher-level intensive care immediately after birth. It is a separate bank, so it is filed as its own claim rather than added to an existing one. TMO has not confirmed official source URLs for this benefit, which is why the profile is labelled Needs recheck.
How it works with other benefits
It sits alongside ordinary FAMLI leave: neonatal leave during the hospital stay, Bonding Leave after discharge. Your health coverage is separate.
Finding a provider or service
My FAMLI+ is where you file. Your baby's hospital provides the admission paperwork or Neonatal Care Certification.
Language & cultural access
FAMLI publishes member materials; ask about language assistance when you file or call 1-866-263-2654.
If you do not qualify
If your situation does not meet the neonatal criteria, ordinary FAMLI leave, including the additional weeks for qualifying pregnancy or childbirth complications, may still apply. Ask your employer about its own leave as well.
Access in practice
Being covered and being able to use it are different things. This is what the sources say about actually reaching this support.
- Referral or prior authorization
- Hospital admission paperwork or a Neonatal Care Certification supports the claim.
In plain terms
What this means for you
If your baby goes straight into intensive care, you can claim up to 12 weeks of paid leave for that time without touching your bonding leave — so you still have paid weeks left for when you finally bring your baby home. File it as its own claim in My FAMLI+, using the hospital's admission paperwork.
Your next step
What to do next
If your newborn is in the NICU, file a Neonatal Care Leave claim in My FAMLI+ using the hospital admission paperwork or a Neonatal Care Certification. When the hospitalization ends, close that claim and file your Bonding Leave.
Official sources
Last verified September 16, 2026 · Needs recheck
2 official sources
Authority: Colorado FAMLI Neonatal Care Leave
Recheck when: Source ledger incomplete: TMO has not confirmed official Neonatal Care Leave page URLs. Recheck and attach those before this profile is marked Ready.
Still being verified
- Official Colorado FAMLI Neonatal Care Leave page URLs are not yet in TMO's source ledger.
- The precise certification and claim-closure mechanics beyond what is stated here are not verified.
This is plain-language public-policy information, not legal, medical, or benefits advice, and it is not specific to your situation. Policy changes, so confirm current rules with the agency or your health plan.