✍️ Add your name to give every baby the first year they deserve.
A baby's first year lays the foundation for the rest of their life.
On 1 July, Australia expanded paid parental leave to 26 weeks, with four of those weeks reserved for fathers and partners. That was a genuine win, and it was hard fought.
Four weeks is a start. It isn't a finish.
The scheme is paid at minimum wage — around half what an average full-time worker earns. For most families it doesn't stretch to a year, and it doesn't stretch to two parents.
So instead of choosing how they want to share their baby's first year, parents are forced to make financial decisions. One parent stays home. The other goes back to work. Patterns that last for years are set before families ever had a real choice.
To be clear about something: this is not leave taken from mums. It's leave added for dads. Every week a father is home in that first year is a week a mother isn't doing it alone.
Dads are main characters in family life, not cameos. It's time our policy settings said so.
It doesn't have to be this way.
The Parenthood is campaigning for 12 months of paid parental leave at a replacement wage, with dedicated leave for both parents, so every family can afford to share their baby's first year.
On Monday 7 September, dads, kids and supporters took that case to Parliament House.
Here For It. From Day One.
Read the new ‘More Time’ With Dad report
People who have signed the petition
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Nivetha Gunasekaran signed 2026-09-24 12:46:49 +1000 -
Isabella Grigorakis signed 2026-09-24 12:45:37 +1000 -
Tahlia Maxwell signed 2026-09-24 12:44:43 +1000 -
Bobbie Brown signed 2026-09-24 12:41:06 +1000 -
Hana Dinh signed 2026-09-24 12:39:12 +1000 -
Lowana Meehan-Tille signed 2026-09-24 12:35:27 +1000 -
Alex Richards signed 2026-09-24 12:35:05 +1000 -
Jessica Muirden signed 2026-09-24 12:33:22 +1000 -
Courtney Southey signed 2026-09-24 12:23:28 +1000 -
Jacky Saunderson signed 2026-09-24 12:23:04 +1000 -
Hollie Wells signed 2026-09-24 12:22:40 +1000 -
Renae Tedesco signed 2026-09-24 12:21:53 +1000 -
Teagan Morton signed 2026-09-24 12:17:38 +1000 -
Erin Beazley signed 2026-09-24 12:14:21 +1000 -
Norell Naidoo signed 2026-09-24 12:13:37 +1000A healthy contributing society begins with the ability to focus on nurturing our young. -
Abi Brook signed 2026-09-24 12:04:22 +1000 -
Rebecca Christopher signed 2026-09-24 12:03:32 +1000A year MINIMUM is needed. I couldn’t even walk or hold my baby at 4 months PP and then I had to go back to work at 5 months PP. Australia is so behind on this. -
Tammy Tafua signed 2026-09-24 12:01:11 +1000 -
Edel Healy signed 2026-09-24 12:00:52 +1000 -
Katarina Addicoat signed 2026-09-24 11:51:58 +1000 -
Jenna Hosier signed 2026-09-24 11:48:57 +1000 -
Maddy Andrews signed 2026-09-24 11:34:42 +1000Saw your national press club, you are incredible! -
Madison Magill signed 2026-09-24 11:32:30 +1000 -
Zoe Korner signed 2026-09-24 11:30:27 +1000 -
Ash Stojanovski signed 2026-09-24 11:30:09 +1000 -
Rachael Connors signed 2026-09-24 11:21:04 +1000 -
Kirsty Cauley signed 2026-09-24 11:20:33 +1000 -
Melissa Magana Cruz signed via Wynnie Nwoga 2026-09-24 11:16:15 +1000 -
Angeline Deo signed 2026-09-24 11:15:45 +1000 -
Amy Bowen signed 2026-09-24 10:51:39 +1000
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