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UK Gives Dads 6 Months of Paternity Leave

Policy shift reflects growing role of female breadwinners

By Jane Yager,  Newser Staff

Posted Jan 28, 2010 9:11 AM CST

(Newser) – The UK has overhauled its family leave policy to put more British babies in their fathers' care as mothers play the role of breadwinner. Where previously mothers got nine months' leave and fathers only two weeks, families will now have the option of shifting the mother's last three months to the father, then tacking on three more unpaid months for a total of six months' paternity leave, the Daily Telegraph reports.

By enabling mothers to return to work earlier, leaving the baby in the father's care, the new measure is expected to particularly benefit the growing number of families in which women are the higher earners. Advocates of the new policy also argued that “there is a huge appetite among fathers to spend more time with their children."

As women earn more, men are taking a larger role in caring for babies.
As women earn more, men are taking a larger role in caring for babies.   (Shutter Stock)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 8 comments
Yourself
Jan 28, 2010 6:29 AM CST
i'm born and raised in Canada, i know it can be better then what we have, if we'd just stop spending the money we are on these fraudulent insurance companies and offer a proper public option then we too could have a comparable system to the rest of the worlds. Trust me, i know it can be better..
kyleleitch
Jan 28, 2010 5:37 AM CST
Meanwhile virginia's governor calls our system the best system in the world.
Count-Spatula
Jan 28, 2010 5:06 AM CST
The American corporatocracy would have to destroy our lives at a slower rate if they gave men that much time off.
 

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