Table 2.

Overall Study Themes for Leave-Taking by Parents of Newborns and Parents of Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) (n=40)

Themes	Parents of Newborn	Parents of CSHCN
(1) Importance of pre- planning for family leave	Reported adequate time to gather and evaluate family leave options; proactive	Reported lack of time to plan, gather, or evaluate family leave options; reactive
(2) Difficulties in accessing and understanding information about family leave benefits	Used multiple sources to gather information; cited employers as influential but often unhelpful Information about eligibility and benefits was difficult to understand	Used multiple sources to gather information; cited employers, family, and friends, all of whom were often unhelpful Information about eligibility and benefits was difficult to understand, especially given lack of time
(3) Limitations of family leave benefits	Limited benefit eligibility (e.g., length of time with employer, company size) Limited benefit provision (e.g., job protection, pay)	Limited benefit eligibility (e.g., length of time with employer, company size) Limited benefit provision (e.g., job protection, pay)
(4) Potential importance of people who understand what is involved in caring for newborns or CSHCN (i.e., healthcare providers) in helping navigate these barriers	Need for more accurate information in lay language Preference for information from advocates who understand newborn needs	Need for more accurate and timely information in lay language Preference for timely information from advocates who understand CSHCN needs