1. Parental leave and return to work: evidence from Growing Up in New Zealand Assoc. Prof. Susan Morton Director Centre for Longitudinal Research – He Ara ki Mua and Growing Up in New Zealand University of Auckland New Zealand www.growingup.co.nz

2. Purpose of Growing Up in New Zealand To provide contemporary population relevant evidence about the determinants of developmental trajectories for 21 st century New Zealand children in the context of their families. “The Ministry of Social Development and the Health Research Council of New Zealand, in association with the Families Commission, the Ministries of Health and Education and the Treasury, wish to establish a new longitudinal study of New Zealand children and families, …. to gain a better understanding of the causal pathways that lead to particular child outcomes (across the life course)” …… introduction to RFP in 2004.

3. Introducing Growing Up in New Zealand Providing contemporary and holistic evidence about growing up in New Zealand in the 21 st century Following 6844 children born in 2009 and 2010 (and their families) from before birth until early adulthood Cohort reflects diversity of all current NZ births (ethnicity, SES, rural/urban) In particular Maori, Pacific and Asian children included in appropriate numbers (unique) Collecting multidisciplinary evidence to inform effective cross-sectoral solutions

4. Information collected to date NEXT STEPS 31 month retention contact complete and 45 month underway Next DCW when children are 54 months (pre-schoolers) DCWs planned every 2-3 years at key transition points thereafter Data linkage to routinely collected health, education and other records

5. Multidisciplinary research framework Domains of influence on children: not separate, but overlapping and interwoven.

6. Early information on child development www.growingup.co.nz

7. Parental leave (Antenatal and by 9 months) Over 95% (n = 3534) of mothers in paid employment during pregnancy intended to take any leave Slightly fewer (89%) partners intended to take leave after their baby was born By the time the cohort babies were 9 months old over 83% (n=3085) of mothers who intended to take any leave had done so (30% still on leave at 9 months) Most common leave taken was Paid Parental Leave (87%) 1056 mothers took only Paid Parental Leave 37.5% took 2 forms of leave, 21% took 3 or more types (unpaid, annual, sick leave)

8. Parental leave intentions (antenatal) NZDep2006 quintilesn Anticipated leave (months) Preferred leave (months) NZDep 1-2 (least deprived)11009.417.9 NZDep 3-412358.616.3 NZDep 5-611687.916.7 NZDep 7-814268.216.9 NZDep 9-1018917.214.7 Household income groups <=20K2207.29.9 >20K <=30K2928.616.5 >30K <=50K7388.012.9 >50K <=70K8607.815.3 >70K <=100K11987.817.2 >100K <=150K9158.217.1 >150K9869.118.0

9. Length of leave (by 9 months) Length of leave for those who had completed leave (n=2460)*Mean (weeks) Length of total leave (both paid and unpaid)23.2 Length of paid parental leave plus additional pay from employer14.8 Length of paid parental leave only13.6 Length of annual leave4.5 Length of receiving other type of pay10.3 Length of not receiving any pay at all16.0 * Includes multiple response(s) and will total to more than 100%

10. Paid Parental leave and type of child care (9 months) Main child care at 9 months (for mothers who took PPL) n% Daycare or Early childcare Centre 48840 Grandparent 37831 Home based care programme 12610 Nanny 928 Other relative 585 Other (friend, neighbour) 31 3 Kohanga Reo 232 Pacific islands Childcare Centre 141 Other 100.9

11. Child wellbeing - Immunisation rates by deprivation

12. Parental Leave (type and duration) and likelihood of timely Immunisations Completion of immunisations on time was most likely for the group of children whose mothers were still on leave when they were 9 months of age (n=1055) (6 weeks – 94%, 3mths - 93%, 5mths – 88% or all 3 -86%) Completion of immunisations on time was also most likely for the group of children whose mothers took a combination of Paid Parental leave and Other leave (6 weeks – 94%, 3mths - 93%, 5mths – 89% or all 3 -87%) Completion of immunisations on time was least likely for the group of children whose mothers took only Other leave (that is no PPL) (6 weeks – 89%, 3mths - 86%, 5mths – 77% or all 3 -75%)

13. Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates in Growing Up

14. Parental leave and exclusive breastfeeding Duration of exclusive breastfeeding (months) Maternal leave group N+N+ MinimumMaximumMeanStd DevMedian Took leave34200.03311.0003.8162.1124.000 Didn't take leave6640.0339.0003.8922.1054.000 Not eligible for leave (not working) 20220.03312.0003.8902.1784.000 + Of those in each category that ever breastfed

15. Parental leave type and exclusive breastfeeding + Of those in each category that ever breastfed Duration of exclusive breastfeeding (months) Maternal leave group N+N+ MinimumMaximumMeanStd DevMedian Paid parental leave 10150.0339.0003.7922.1234.000 Paid parental leave plus other leave(s) 19760.03311.0003.8342.1024.000 Other leave type(s) but not paid parental leave 4250.0339.0003.7732.1354.000

16. Future plans Full analysis of parental leave and return to work when all mothers have completed leave (approximately 30% of those who took leave yet to return to work in first 9 months) Further analyses of enablers and barriers to taking parental leave (for those eligible) Further analyses on impact of parental leave on environment provided for children and related behaviours Relationship between parental leave and return to work on family dynamics and child developmental outcomes and wellbeing.

17. Acknowledgements Participants and their families Growing Up team University of Auckland UniServices Ministry of Social Development Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Justice, Dept of Labour, Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, Te Puni Kokiri, Office of Ethnic Affairs, Statistics NZ, Families Commission, Children’s Commission Advisory and Stakeholder groups