PUEBLO — The Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners voted Thursday to rescind Resolution 17-165 and adopt a paid parental leave policy that provides six weeks of paid leave to eligible employees after birth, adoption, foster placement or guardianship of a child, plus an additional six weeks of postpartum recovery leave for mothers who give birth.

The policy was presented and read into the record by Commissioner Miles Lucero, who said, “Today, I’m very proud to announce that Pueblo County is expanding its support for our working families. We’re adopting a policy that provides 6 weeks of paid parental leave to all eligible employees after birth, adoption, foster placement, or guardianship of a child.”

Why it matters: County leaders framed the move as both a benefit for employees and a community-value decision. “This policy helps make Pueblo County a more attractive place to work for young people considering starting families,” Lucero said, adding the county can act ahead of a federal mandate to show local leadership.

Board discussion and context: Commissioners spoke in support. One commissioner, speaking from personal experience, said as an adoptive parent and a birth parent it is important to be home with a child and voiced a yes vote. The board recorded the item as 4d on the agenda.

Action taken: A motion to approve item 4d was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote with the board responding “aye.”

What was not specified: The policy text referenced eligibility criteria and administrative details but the transcript did not specify exact eligibility definitions, benefit coordination with other leave types, or an effective date.

Next steps: County staff will be responsible for implementing the new policy and updating human-resources materials; the transcript did not record a timeline for implementation or administrative instructions.