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Statutory paid leave for parents whose child is undergoing cancer treatment

Submitted by Christopher Egerton on Monday 23rd February 2026

Published on Monday 30th March 2026

Current status: Open

Open until: Wednesday 30th September 2026

Current Signatures: 3,065
(count is updated approximately hourly)

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

2027 ~ Assist ~ Assisted ~ cancer treatment ~ Child ~ Dying ~ Maternity ~ Medic ~ Parent ~ Paternity ~ Recovery ~ Upside ~ Upside Down ~ work

Petition Action

Statutory paid leave for parents whose child is undergoing cancer treatment

Petition Details

I’d like the Government to provide statutory paid leave, in the same way as maternity and paternity leave, for parents whose child is diagnosed with cancer and need to assist them with their care.

Additional Information

A diagnosis of childhood cancer is extremely distressing and can turn a parent’s life upside down and redefine structure to daily life. Currently the Government assists with maternity leave to assist with maternal recovery and childhood bonding, and I would argue that a dying child deserves the same consideration for medical treatment, recovery and bonding. I feel work commitments and finances are making this untenable. The Government has already invested in covering travel costs from 2027.


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216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 11:53:02 +0100