7 things you need to know about N.Y. Gov. Kathy Hochuls’ new maternal and child health initiatives

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — After Gov. Kathy Hochul announced new legislation as part of the fiscal year 2025 budget to give pregnant women an additional 20 hours of paid sick leave (PTO), she highlighted the new statewide implementations to help the health of both mom and baby.

“We [are] prioritizing maternal and infant health because every family deserves a healthy start in life,” Hochul said. “Every mother deserves to feel joy and excitement, not fear and trepidation as she brings life into the world. When all families have the care and support they need to thrive, our potential as a state is limitless.”

“As a passionate advocate for maternal health, I’m thrilled about the numerous victories for new and expecting mothers in New York State’s budget. From the groundbreaking creation of paid prenatal leave for pregnant moms to the elimination of out-of-pocket medical costs for pregnancy-related expenses, our state is leading the nation in prioritizing the health of expectant mothers and their infants,” State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton said.

“I’m particularly proud to have championed securing funding for creating a midwifery program at CUNY. Our state urgently needs more skilled maternal healthcare providers, and our CUNY students possess so much potential to expand this in New York. As a proud CUNY graduate, advocating for this program was very meaningful to me, and I look forward to seeing what this program will accomplish in the upcoming years,” she added.

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