PARAMEDICS, police officers, teachers and other public sector workers on the Mid North Coast will be supported to spend more precious time with their young babies, with major changes to NSW public service parental leave entitlements now in effect.

Every mother and father in the NSW public sector is now entitled to fourteen weeks’ paid parental leave as part of groundbreaking changes to remove the distinction between a ‘primary’ and ‘secondary’ carer in the NSW Government’s paid parental leave scheme.

Parents can now also use their leave up to two years after the birth, adoption, surrogacy or permanent out-of-home care placement of their child.

An additional two weeks’ ‘bonus leave’ is now also available where parents more equally share childcare responsibilities between partners, allowing public sector employees to take up to sixteen weeks’ paid parental leave.

Premier Dominic Perrottet said giving parents more choice about how they juggle care and careers helps strengthen families and women’s career and economic opportunities.

“Giving parents the support and real options to share care in the early years of their child’s life, lets families choose what works for them and delivers equal opportunity for NSW Government employees,” Mr Perrottet said.

“Giving fathers the option to spend more time with their young ones and mothers the option to return to work when it suits them will build strong foundations for families and benefit the whole community.”

Public sector workers undergoing fertility treatment now also have access to up to five days’ fertility leave per year.

The updated parental leave scheme came into effect on 1 October 2022.