{"id":95458,"date":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/?p=95458"},"modified":"2025-04-27T02:46:19","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T02:46:19","slug":"what-is-parental-leave","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/what-is-parental-leave\/","title":{"rendered":"Parental leave: The basics you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

As if preparing for a new baby wasn’t stressful enough, parents-to-be are also tasked with trying to figure out their parental leave<\/a>. Does their company provide it? How long can they take? Will they be paid while they’re out?<\/p>

Unfortunately, in the U.S., there’s not a cut and dried answer since there’s no federal maternity or paternity leave law. While progress has been made in the past few decades, much of a person’s parental leave depends on factors like where they live and their company.<\/p>

“There really aren’t any simple answers when it comes to questions about parental leave,” says Ruth Martin, senior vice president and chief justice workplace officer at MomsRising<\/a>. “A lot of it is luck — if you’re lucky to live in one of 13 states that have made parental leave mandatory or if you have a good employer.” <\/p>

From how much time you get to whether or not you get paid, here’s a breakdown of what you can expect when it comes to parental leave.  <\/p>

“A lot of parents use their parental leave to establish a breastfeeding schedule, settle, recover and line up child care.”<\/p>— Ruth Martin, senior vice president, MomsRising<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>

What is paternity leave?<\/h2>

Parental leave, sometimes referred to as maternity or paternity leave, is “time away from work to welcome a new child into your home, regardless of how — birth, adoption or foster,” explains Martin. This time, Martin continues, is to help your family adjust to a new child, bond and\/or recover from birth.<\/p>

“A lot of parents use their parental leave to establish a breastfeeding schedule, settle, recover and line up child care.”<\/p>

How long is parental leave?<\/h2>

Here’s where things get confusing. While you may have heard that 12 weeks is the national standard for parental leave<\/a>, that doesn’t necessarily apply to everyone (which, yes, is demoralizing). To find out exactly how much time you get personally — could be more, could be less — you’re going to have to do a little digging (more on where to dig below), but here’s some insight. <\/p>

The Family Medical Leave Act<\/a> (FMLA), which was passed in 1993, provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected time off of work after the welcoming of a new child. “However, there are certain criteria you and your company need to meet for these 12 weeks to be guaranteed,” says Martin. <\/p>

According to the U.S. Department of Labor<\/a> (DOL), employees are eligible for FMLA if:<\/p>