Family First New Zealand is calling for paid "father's leave" for dads, to help them bond with their baby and support mums through a demanding time.
Currently, the primary eligibility for paid parental leave lies with the mother. Dads are entitled to two weeks unpaid leave, but many struggle to take it.
Auckland dad of newborn twins, Ashley Giles, says he saved up his holiday to be able to take the two weeks leave after his wife Natalie gave birth.
"I took a two week holiday to be able to stay at home and look after my wife and take care of our babies," he says.
"There's huge pressures around being a young dad. A really big thing is being able to provide for your family, so if there's a facility to be able to say, 'We'll take care of the pay for you', and allows you to stay at home and take care of the babies and do what you need to as an additional carer for them, then that's fantastic.
"It's going to remove some of the barriers we're faced with as parents."
Family First made a submission to a Parliamentary committee today considering a parental leave amendment Bill.
While supporting an extension of paid parental leave to 26 weeks, it also called for paid father leave, starting at two weeks and increasing to four.
It's estimated to cost around $20 million a year.
"The period immediately following the birth of a child is demanding and difficult for mums, especially with sleep deprivation, recovering from childbirth, and coping with the existing demands of siblings," says Family First national director Bob McCoskrie.
"It is completely appropriate, and in fact desirable, that the father is involved in this crucial period of adjustment and to support the mother. This will promote hands-on parenting by fathers, which is a good thing."
Paid parental leave will be extended to 18 weeks from next month, which a spokesperson for Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Michael Woodhouse says fathers are already entitled to.
He told Newshub it's not gender specific -- both mothers and fathers are equally entitled to the leave, but it's up to a household to decide who takes it.
Mr McCoskrie says both mothers and fathers should get paid parental leave.
In Australia, the Dad and Partner Pay scheme is separate to maternity pay and provides two weeks of government-funded leave for fathers.
A nationwide poll of New Zealanders commissioned by Family First found strong support for paid fathers leave -- 68 percent support the proposal, with 28 percent opposing.
Newshub.
