Paid family and medical leave positively impacts these policy goals:
SUMMARY
Paid family and medical leave providing at least 12 weeks of paid leave for parents who give birth and at least 6 weeks for all parents with a new child is an effective state policy to impact:
A state policy providing at least 12 weeks of paid leave for parents who give birth and at least 6 weeks for all parents with a new child increases the likelihood and length of leave-taking, reduces racial disparities in leave-taking, and has beneficial effects on maternal labor force attachment, postneonatal infant mortality, parent and child health, and nurturing and responsive parenting.
Paid family leave policies allow employees to take time off work and receive a portion of their salary for qualifying reasons which include the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child or caring for a loved one with a serious medical condition. Paid medical leave policies allow employees to take paid time off to recover from one’s own serious medical condition, which includes childbirth. By providing parents with the time and financial security to stay home with a new child, paid family and medical leave may improve both economic security and the health and wellbeing of children and parents.
States vary in the number of weeks offered, the portion of wages paid, eligibility requirements, job protection provisions, and funding mechanisms. Studies that examine the causal impact of paid family leave policies find that providing at least 12 weeks of paid leave for parents who give birth and at least 6 weeks for all parents with a new child increases the length and likelihood of leave-taking, increases mothers’ labor force participation rates, improves mothers’ mental health, and supports better child-parent relationships and child health.
Download the Complete Evidence Review
Paid Family and Medical Leave Evidence Review (PDF)
Download the 2-Page Summary
Summary of the Rigorous Research on Paid Family and Medical Leave (PDF)
Recommended Citation:
Prenatal-to-3 Policy Impact Center. (2024). Prenatal-to-3 policy clearinghouse evidence review: Paid family and medical leave. Peabody College of Education and Human Development, Vanderbilt University. https://pn3policy.org/policy-clearinghouse/paid-family-leave
Updated October 2024
