This is an official communication from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Family & Medical Leave Insurance Division. |
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FAMLI Voices: Nathalie and Neonatal Care Leave |
When Nathalie received news she and her wife had been chosen to adopt a newborn in February 2021, she was overjoyed. But when she learned her daughter had medical complications at birth, Nathalie spent a month in a neonatal care unit, followed by another six months spent at weekly specialist appointments. |
Like so many Coloradans, Nathalie assumed she’d be able to take time away from work — only to learn she didn’t qualify for her company’s limited family leave policy. When she asked whether her job could at least be held for her if she took unpaid leave, the answer was just as devastating: no. |
Nathalie was faced with an impossible choice. As she put it, “In order to take care of the new baby in my family, I had to quit my job.” |
Thankfully, that choice is one Colorado parents no longer have to make. |
How Neonatal Care Leave Works |
Instead of stacking crises, parents can now stack support. |
- With FAMLI’s new Neonatal Care Leave, parents whose infants receive intensive care may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of paid leave during their baby’s hospital stay.
- Then, once their baby is discharged, families may be eligible to take 12 additional weeks of paid time off through FAMLI Bonding Leave.
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Doing so is simple: families can apply for both Neonatal Care Leave and Bonding in the My FAMLI+ portal at the same time. Neonatal Care Leave can start as soon as an admission document is uploaded and approved. Then, once their stay in neonatal care ends, parents let FAMLI know, so their Bonding Leave can immediately begin. |
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News You Can Use: End-of-theYear Updates |
FAMLI Will Be Even More Affordable Next Year |
On January 1st, the FAMLI premium is being reduced. Employees will pay only .44% of wages - meaning Colorado workers will keep even more of their paycheck each month and still be covered when they need time for what matters most. |
The My FAMLI+ portal will automatically update to reflect these changes on January 1. |
Support for Families with Newborns in Intensive Medical Care 🩺💙 |
Neonatal Care Leave is available for eligible parents, foster parents, adoptive parents, step-parents, and individuals acting in loco parentis. |
FAMLI & Federal Taxes + End of Optional Withholding
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As part of new IRS guidance, FAMLI medical benefits will soon be treated differently for federal tax purposes. |
Starting January 1, 2026, if you work for an employer with ten or more employees, the IRS will require a small portion of your FAMLI medical leave benefits be taxed for FICA purposes. |
If you work for an employer with ten or more employees in 2026: |
- When you take FAMLI medical and/or pregnancy leave, FAMLI will automatically handle your portion of FICA taxes for you. These deductions will show in your benefit statement on the Payments page of My FAMLI+.
- When you take non-medical FAMLI leave, you will still have the option to withhold 10% of your benefit for federal income tax purposes. This option will be presented to you in the My FAMLI+ portal.
- For medical or pregnancy leave, you may request additional federal withholdings via form W-4S.
- PERA employees: FAMLI can’t separate employees individually from FAMLI employer IDs. If you take medical or pregnancy leave and believe you are owed a refund, file Form 843 with your tax return to the IRS.
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If you work for an employer with less than ten employees in 2026: |
- Benefits received for FAMLI medical and/or pregnancy leave are 100% untaxed for federal income purposes.
- You will still have the option to withhold 10% of non-medical leave benefits for federal income tax purposes. This option will be presented to you in the My FAMLI+ portal.
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Self-Employed Task: 2024 Tax Transcripts |
If you’re self-employed and elected FAMLI coverage, be sure to upload your 2024 IRS Tax Return Transcript in My FAMLI+ by January 1, 2026. |
Without it, your 2024 income may not be counted when we calculate benefit amounts starting in 2026. |
- Log into My FAMLI+
- Go to Tasks
- Upload your 2024 IRS Tax Return Transcript
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If your task shows as complete, you’re all set — no further action is needed. |
Unsure whether you need to take action? |
Check your “Tasks” in My FAMLI+ . If there’s nothing listed, you’re set! |
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Updates this month make My FAMLI+ clearer, more accessible, and easier to use. |
Improved Accessibility Across the Portal |
- Pages are easier to read and navigate
- Forms and notices work better with screen readers and assistive tools
- Important actions and information are easier to find
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You don’t need to do anything — these improvements are already in place when you log in. |
Clearer Instructions for Reporting Leave Hours |
If you’re approved for intermittent or reduced schedule leave, you’ll now receive clearer instructions with your eligibility notice. |
- When to report your leave hours (for example, weekly or after time is taken)
- Where to report them (in My FAMLI+ → Tasks)
- How to submit hours so payments aren’t delayed
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Following these instructions helps make sure your benefit payments are processed on time. |
Clearer Messages When Documents Are Missing |
If we need additional documents from you, the messages you receive will now be more specific. You’ll now see: |
- A clear list of what document is missing
- Instructions on where to upload it (My FAMLI+ → Tasks)
- Guidance on what happens next once it’s submitted
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Checking your Tasks and uploading documents promptly helps keep your claim moving. |
More Clarity in Some Eligibility Notices |
Some notices now include clearer date information.
You can see which dates are covered by a decision.
You’ll also see what was approved or denied. |
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Behind the Scenes: FAMLI Staff Perspectives |
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Before leading the program, Division Director Tracy Marshall spent years as a bedside nurse — including eight years at a neonatal intensive care unit in Denver. That clinical experience has deeply shaped how FAMLI designed Neonatal Care Leave, grounding the policy in the real, day-to-day realities families face when a newborn needs intensive medical care. Earlier this month, we talked to Tracy about what Neonatal Care Leave means to her. |
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Hi Tracy. Thanks for doing this. |
I’m thrilled! Neonatal Care Leave matters so much to me.
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Do you remember your very first day working in neonatal intensive care? |
I remember it very clearly. I came from the adult intensive care world, where moving a patient was a two-or three-person job. And on my first day in neonatal care, I walked into the unit and watched another nurse reposition a tiny baby. They couldn’t have weighed more than a couple of pounds. But this nurse lifted the baby’s head one way and then gently rotated their body another, all while putting them right back down again in one simple motion, as if there was nothing to it, all on her own. It honestly felt magical, and yet I was absolutely terrified. |
Because! These babies were so small, and we had to be delicate when we moved them, but we also had to be very sure in how we moved them, because we didn’t want to do it wrong, right? They required a gentle approach, but also a lot of confidence. That balance stays with you.
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How did working in neonatal intensive care shape your understanding of what families need? |
It taught me very quickly that this is not how families expect their story to go. Parents are dealing with medical uncertainty, fear, and exhaustion, often all at once. What they need most is time: to be present, to learn how to care for their baby, and without worrying about work, or paychecks, or whether their job will still be there. |
What’s different about the neonatal care experience, compared to a typical birth or hospital stay? |
Well, it’s highly structured and incredibly intense. Infants in the neonatal intensive care unit are on strict schedules. There are alarms, monitors, routines happening around the clock. Parents are learning how to care for a fragile newborn in an overwhelming environment. And all of this is happening while many parents are still working, or figuring out how long they can afford to be away from work. |
That still shocks me. Before Neonatal Care Leave, what choices did you see families having to make? |
I saw parents being forced to ration their time. Asking themselves, “How much can I be here now, and how much do I need to save for when my baby comes home?” Some parents came in before work, called during lunch breaks, and returned late at night. They were stretched thin, exhausted, and carrying a lot of guilt. And none of that helps families or babies heal. |
How did those experiences influence how Neonatal Care Leave was designed? |
We knew this leave had to recognize that time spent in the intensive unit is not the same as bonding time at home. Making that time into two separate events really matters. Families shouldn’t have to choose between being there when their baby needs them most and being there when they finally get to bring them home - so Colorado has now made sure they didn’t have to. |
You often talk about “kangaroo care.” Care to explain to Coloradans why that’s so important? |
So kangaroo care — skin-to-skin contact — is one of the most powerful things a parent can give their baby. And the research backs that up. It helps regulate breathing, heart rate, and temperature, and it strengthens the bond between parent and child. Intensive care teams can provide incredible medical care, but they can’t replace that connection. Giving parents the time, support, and security to be there makes that possible. |
What do you hope families gain from Neonatal Care Leave? |
I hope it gives families a little more stability during an incredibly hard time. It won’t take away the fear or the stress entirely; nothing can. But it can remove some of the financial and job-related worries. Families should be able to focus on their baby, not on whether they can afford to miss another shift or how they’ll pay the bills while they’re driving back and forth to the hospital. And I’m just so proud that Colorado made this focus possible. We want to hear your personal stories. Please tell us how FAMLI is helping you through a significant life event. Each month we’ll feature real stories in our newsletter and across our social channels. |
We want to hear your personal stories! Coloradans, please tell us how FAMLI is helping you through a significant life event. I can’t wait to hear more about what being able “to be there” has meant for you. |
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Performance Report: 2025 FAMLI by the Numbers |
In 2020, Colorado made history by becoming the first state in the nation to create a paid family and medical leave program through a voter-approved referendum. |
Since then, FAMLI has helped turn moments of crisis into moments of care. |
More than 180,000 Coloradans were able to take time away from work to heal, to care for loved ones, or to welcome a new child without losing their income. |
Nearly $800 million has gone directly back to workers and families across the state, helping people stay housed, keep the lights on, and focus on what matters most when life takes an unexpected turn. |
And for many, that support made a real difference: |
Your FAMLI benefit depends on your wage. This year, our average benefit across all 180,000 Coloradans who took leave was about $500 a week – meaning Coloradans of all income levels are using FAMLI. |
Behind every payment is a patient recovering from surgery, a caregiver supporting a loved one, or a family finding stability during a difficult chapter. And in each instance, we were honored just to help. |
Looking ahead, FAMLI will continue to strengthen the program for workers and families across Colorado. That means improving access for all Coloradans, and continuing to refine the systems that make paid leave work in real life. |
Thank you! We’re excited to continue making Colorado the best state to live, work, and raise a family. |
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Need a hand navigating your leave? Find printable guidebooks, FAQs, and online resources below – as well as user guides to make your FAMLI experience as easy as possible. |
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1-866-CO-FAMLI (1-866-263-2654)
CDLE_FAMLI_info@state.co.us
The FAMLI Contact Center is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The best time to call is between 7:30 and 10 a.m. |
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Be sure to follow us and engage with the account at @coloradofamli
on Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn. |
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Colorado Division of Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) 707 17th Street, Denver, CO 80202 Unsubscribe |
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