Landmark paternity leave, extended maternity benefits

In an historic shift recognising the evolving role of fathers and diverse family structures, Barbados will introduce statutory paternity leave and extend maternity leave from June 1, as part of progressive reforms announced in Monday’s budget.

Delivering his budget speech on Monday evening, Minister in the Ministry of Finance Ryan Straughn announced that fathers would receive three weeks’ statutory paternity leave in recognition of their role in nurturing children.

“This early support is of immediate and long-term benefit, both to the mother, and the child, and ultimately, to the community. Mister Speaker, I now propose that with effect from June 1 2025, the introduction of statutory paternity leave for men of three weeks. With this statutory provision and recognising our modern society, we will also remove, with effect from June 1 2025, the condition that both parents have to live together when the child is born in order to access these benefits,” he announced.

Maternity leave will increase from its current 12-week period to 14 weeks for single births and to 17 weeks for multiple births.

Emphasising that the government was committed to supporting family structures, Straughn outlined several additional changes set for implementation at the beginning of June.

“We will remove the stipulation of three confinements with the same employer for maternity benefits. We will remove the requirements that a child should be born in Barbados and instead say that a child born to a mother who is ordinarily resident in Barbados,” Straughn added.

Acknowledging significant improvements in healthcare services on the island—with maternal mortality rates approaching zero—he noted there were circumstances where mothers were unavailable to meet their newborns’ needs. He confirmed that caregivers such as fathers or grandparents should be eligible for support previously restricted to mothers.

“With effect from June 1, 2025, we shall convert the maternity grant to a child grant, recognizing that the primary provider of care for a child may not always be the mother of that child,” Straughn declared. “This is quite a progressive move, befitting Barbados in the 21st century. The government has designed these measures with a clear understanding as to how Barbadian society works and our complex family structures, as well as the fundamental role of the family served in the development of communities and the stability and progress of the nation,” he said.

Key takeaways:

• In historic first, Barbados introduces statutory paternity leave of three weeks from June
• Extended maternity leave: Mothers will now receive 14 weeks’ leave for single births and 17 weeks for multiple births, up from the current 12-week period.
• Inclusive family support: Conditions requiring parents to live together to access benefits will be removed, reflecting modern family structures.
• Child-focused grants: The maternity grant will become a “child grant,” available to primary caregivers beyond mothers, including fathers and grandparents.