Paid family leave by state in 2026
Maternity leave in the US is paid only if your state, your employer or an insurance policy pays it. Here is every state program, checked on its official site.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
As of October 2026, 13 states and DC have paid family leave programs: California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, Delaware, Minnesota, Maine and DC pay benefits now, and Maryland starts in January 2028. Most offer about 8 to 12 weeks of bonding leave at 67% to 90% of wages, up to a weekly maximum.
How state paid leave works for a birth
Most programs pay in two layers:
- Pregnancy and recovery (disability or "medical" leave): while you are medically unable to work, often some weeks before the due date and a recovery period after birth, longer after a cesarean.
- Bonding (family leave): to care for and bond with your baby, open to both parents.
Your benefit is a percentage of your past wages, capped at the weekly maximum. Your state of work generally decides which program covers you.
The 2026 table
Each line was checked on the program's official website on 13 October 2026. "Not confirmed" means we could not confirm it that day: check the program's site.
| State | Bonding | Pregnancy / recovery | Pay | Weekly max 2026 | Job protection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California (PFL + DI) | 8 weeks | Up to 4 weeks before due date, 6 after (8 after cesarean) | About 70% to 90% | $1,765 | Not from PFL itself |
| New Jersey (FLI + TDI) | 12 weeks, or 56 separate days | Usually 4 weeks before, 6 after (8 after cesarean) | 85% | $1,119 | Via NJFLA / FMLA |
| New York (PFL + DBL) | 12 weeks | DBL 4 before, 6 after (8 after cesarean); 26 weeks max combined | PFL 67%; DBL 50% up to $170 | PFL $1,228.53 | PFL: yes |
| Rhode Island (TCI + TDI) | Up to 8 weeks | TDI up to 30 weeks | Not confirmed | $1,150 (from 1 Jul 2026) | Not confirmed |
| Washington (PFML) | 12 weeks | 16 weeks combined, 18 if pregnancy incapacity | Up to 90% | $1,647 | 25+ employees, after 180 days |
| District of Columbia | 12 weeks + 2 prenatal | Medical 10 weeks from 1 Oct 2026 | Up to 90% | $1,100 (from 1 Oct 2026) | Not confirmed |
| Massachusetts (PFML) | 12 weeks | Up to 20 weeks; 26 combined | Partial wage replacement | $1,230.39 | Yes |
| Connecticut (CT Paid Leave) | 12 weeks | +2 weeks pregnancy incapacity | 95% up to $677.60, then 60% | $1,016.40 | Not from the program itself |
| Oregon (Paid Leave Oregon) | 12 weeks | Up to 14 weeks with pregnancy needs | % of wages | $1,692.16 (from 28 Jun 2026) | After 90 days |
| Colorado (FAMLI) | 12 weeks | +4 weeks complications; +12 weeks NICU leave | Up to 90% | $1,448 (from 1 Jul 2026) | After 180 days |
| Delaware (Paid Leave) | 12 weeks | Own health 6 weeks per 24 months | 80% | $900 | Not confirmed |
| Minnesota (Paid Leave) | 12 weeks | Up to 20 weeks combined | Up to 90% | $1,423 | From 90 days after hire |
| Maine (PFML) | 12 weeks | 12 weeks overall | 90% / 66% | Not confirmed | After 120 days |
| Maryland (FAMLI) | Up to 12 weeks from 1 Jan 2028 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Up to $1,000 | Yes |
Voluntary programs: Vermont and New Hampshire offer voluntary paid leave insurance (covered only if your employer joined or, in New Hampshire, if you buy an individual plan). Hawaii has temporary disability insurance covering pregnancy (up to 26 weeks) but no bonding benefit.
Deadlines and waiting weeks that catch people
- California: file PFL no later than 41 days after your leave starts; DI within 49 days.
- New Jersey: TDI has a 7-day waiting week (paid back after 22 days out); FLI can be filed up to 60 days before, or within 30 days after, leave begins.
- New York: DBL has a 7-day waiting period; give 30 days' notice for PFL when you can and file within 30 days of the start of leave.
- Washington: apply within 30 days of the event; no waiting week for postnatal and bonding leave; 820 hours needed.
- Massachusetts: 7-day unpaid waiting period; apply up to 60 days ahead.
- Connecticut: apply within 45 days (or show good cause).
- Colorado: no waiting period; file up to 30 days before or after.
- Delaware: 12 months and 1,250 hours with one employer; apply 30 days before to 30 days after.
- Maine: apply no later than 90 days after leave starts.
- DC: weekly maximum and medical/family weeks cut on 1 October 2026; parental and prenatal leave unchanged.
Why it is worth claiming every week
A study of more than 300,000 children (Hamad and colleagues, American Journal of Public Health, 2019) found that paid family leave policies in California and New Jersey were followed by a modest increase in exclusive breastfeeding at six months. Paid leave is not only about money: it buys time.
No state program? Your other options
- Ask HR about employer paid parental leave.
- Check short-term disability insurance through work: how many weeks it pays after a vaginal birth and a cesarean.
- Use PTO, vacation and sick days, and check your employer's rules for using them during FMLA.
- Use FMLA to protect your job and health insurance, even unpaid.
- Ask for flexibility under the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act: leave can itself be a reasonable accommodation.
Questions parents ask
Is maternity leave paid in the US?
There is no federal paid maternity leave, and FMLA leave is unpaid. You are paid only through a state program, your employer's parental leave, short-term disability insurance or your own paid time off.
Which state has the longest paid family leave?
For bonding, most programs give 12 weeks (California gives 8). Counting pregnancy and recovery, combined caps are higher in some states, for example 26 weeks in a benefit year in Massachusetts and up to 18 weeks in Washington when pregnancy causes incapacity.
Can fathers and partners use paid family leave?
Yes. State bonding leave is generally available to any parent bonding with a new child, including fathers, partners and adoptive parents, within the program's time limits.
Does paid family leave protect my job?
Not always. California's PFL and CT Paid Leave pay benefits but do not themselves protect your job; protection may come from other laws such as FMLA. New York, Massachusetts, Oregon, Colorado, Minnesota and Maine programs include job protection, under conditions.
Sources
- California EDD — Paid Family Leave and PFL benefit amounts checked October 13, 2026
- New Jersey — Family Leave Insurance checked October 13, 2026
- New York Paid Family Leave — 2026 benefits checked October 13, 2026
- Washington Paid Family and Medical Leave — How Paid Leave works checked October 13, 2026
- Massachusetts — PFML overview and benefits checked October 13, 2026
- Colorado FAMLI — Individuals and families FAQs checked October 13, 2026
- Maryland FAMLI — About the program checked October 13, 2026
- Hamad R et al. Paid Family Leave Effects on Breastfeeding, a quasi-experimental study of US policies. Am J Public Health 2019 (PMID 30359107, DOI 10.2105/AJPH.2018.304693) checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.