We are pleased to announce that Yale School of Medicine has extended its paid child rearing leave for eligible faculty. Thanks to the support of Yale Cancer Center members including Valerie Horsley, PhD, Associate Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Associate Professor of Dermatology, and a member of the Cancer Signaling Networks Research Program, and Megan King, PhD, Associate Professor of Cell Biology and of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, Co-Leader of the Radiobiology and Radiotherapy Research Program, and Associate Cancer Center Director of Basic Science, leave has been extended from eight to 12 weeks.

Dr. King commented, “Valerie was instrumental in getting the family leave legislation passed at the state level that made this possible. The Connecticut Paid Family and Medical Leave Program will also provide parental leave benefits to anyone employed in the state, which will include trainees such as postdoctoral associates, so it is a win for all, not just our faculty!"

Barbara Burtness, MD, Interim Associate Cancer Center Director for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion marked this as a monumental win for women in medicine and science. “This is such a wonderful breakthrough for women working in medicine and science in the state of Connecticut. I couldn’t be prouder of the role my fellow YCC members, Drs. King and Horsley, played in bringing attention to the need for a humane child rearing leave policy.”

You can view the updated policy at https://medicine.yale.edu/oapd/academicaffairs/leaves/leaves/?tab=Child+Rearing