Paid Family Leave by State in 2026: The Complete List

The U.S. has no federal paid parental leave — but a growing list of states runs social-insurance programs that pay you a percentage of your wages while you bond with a new baby. 2026 is the biggest expansion year yet: three new state programs began paying benefits.

States paying family-leave benefits in 2026

• Long-running programs: California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Oregon, Colorado, and the District of Columbia.
• New in January 2026: Minnesota and Delaware began paying benefits.
• New in May 2026: Maine began paying benefits.
• Coming later: Maryland's program has been delayed to 2028. Several more states have passed but not yet launched programs — check your state labor department.

Benefit design varies: most programs pay 60–90% of your average weekly wage (capped), for 6–12 weeks of bonding leave, funded by small payroll deductions you have likely already been paying.

Five things parents get wrong about state leave

• Both parents can usually claim it — bonding leave is not just for the birthing parent.
• It can stack with employer leave — many employers top up the state benefit to full pay; some run concurrently. Ask HR how they coordinate.
• Job protection is separate — the money comes from the state program; job protection typically comes from FMLA (50+ employee companies, 12 months tenure) or a state equivalent.
• Self-employed people can often opt in — several states let freelancers elect coverage; deadlines apply, so do it before pregnancy if possible.
• You usually apply around the birth, not months before — but read your state's notice requirements now; some require 30 days' notice to your employer.

Sources: state program sites; Bipartisan Policy Center and A Better Balance program trackers (2026). Program parameters change annually — verify with your state before planning leave.