Why Paid Parental Leave in the U.S. Is Closer Than You Think

The United States is one of the only countries in the world that does not guarantee paid leave for new parents to recover, bond with a newborn, and adjust as a family. Only about 25% of private-sector workers have access to paid parental leave, and among the lowest-wage workers, access is virtually nonexistent. Most must rely on vacation days, sick time, or unpaid leave—if they can afford to take time off at all.

Contrary to common belief, paid parental leave has long enjoyed broad bipartisan support in the U.S. However, the policy has been bundled with broader medical and caregiving leave for over 30 years, an all-or-nothing approach that has repeatedly failed at the federal level.

Why the Current Approach Fails

Comprehensive leave packages often exclude many new parents due to strict work-history requirements and do not provide enough income replacement for low-income families to use the benefit. Advocates argue that a standalone parental leave bill would have a better chance of passing and would be more effectively targeted to families with young children.

Bipartisan Momentum for Paid Leave

Despite the challenges, there is growing bipartisan support for paid parental leave:

• Republicans have backed various proposals over the years.
• Red states have expanded paid leave for state employees since the Dobbs decision.
• Bipartisan working groups are active in both the House and Senate.

The primary obstacle is that parental leave has been tied to far more ambitious federal packages for decades. These larger proposals face steep price tags and steep political hurdles, making passage unlikely. It’s a strategic choice advocates and Congress have repeatedly made.

How Other Countries Do It Differently

Most countries began with basic maternity or parental protections and expanded over time. They added paid time off for fathers, workers with serious health conditions, and those caring for sick family members. In most cases, parental leave is not bundled with medical or caregiving leave—it is its own distinct program designed specifically for new parents.

In the U.S., efforts to provide paid leave have aimed to address a wide variety of situations at once. This approach dates back to the early 1990s, when a coalition of disability rights groups, feminist organizations, seniors’ groups, and labor unions collaborated to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993. The FMLA guarantees eligible workers up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave. Since then, Democrats have sought to make it paid.

The latest proposal, introduced in 2025, is the most expansive yet. It includes paid leave for caregiving for step-grandchildren, the spouse of a sibling, and survivors of stalking or sexual assault. While the effort to define all possible relationships and situations requiring support is admirable, it also makes the legislation more expensive and harder to pass.

"The real problem is that parental leave has been yoked to a far more ambitious federal package for over 30 years, one that faces a much steeper price tag and an uphill battle to passage. It’s a strategic political choice advocates and Congress have made, and keep making."