{"id":80752,"date":"2026-05-10T16:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T23:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=80752"},"modified":"2026-05-10T16:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T23:49:13","slug":"as-mothers-day-approaches-governor-newsom-highlights-a-first-of-its-kind-in-the-nation-paid-family-leave-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/?p=80752","title":{"rendered":"As Mother\u2019s Day approaches, Governor Newsom highlights a first-of-its-kind in the nation paid family leave program"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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What you need to know:\u00a0<\/strong>Ahead of Mother\u2019s Day, Governor Newsom recognizes mothers and maternal figures for their dedication and strength, and highlights the Paid Family Leave program and the benefits the program provides for mothers. Through the Employment Development Department, the Paid Family Leave program provides Californians up to eight weeks of benefit payments so they can bond with a new child, or care for a loved one.<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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SACRAMENTO \u2013\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0In recognition of the dedication and strength of mothers and maternal figures across California, Governor Gavin Newsom highlights California\u2019s Paid Family Leave (PFL) program \u2014 the first comprehensive program in the nation to financially support mothers who want to take time off to bond with their babies, adopted children, or foster children. Since 2004, PFL has been supporting families for over 20 years, and serves as a foundation for Californians \u00a0to be present with their families during life-changing events.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cAs Mother\u2019s Day approaches, we honor the women who lift up our communities, nurture our children, and bring joy and stability into our homes.<\/p>\n

We remain committed to supporting families\u2014because strong families build a stronger California. Through our Paid Family Leave program, we\u2019re making sure parents have the time to bond, to be present, and to support one another during life\u2019s most important moments. That\u2019s what it means to truly support families across the Golden State.\u201d<\/h4>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cCalifornia\u2019s Paid Family Leave program is a strong reflection of our state\u2019s values \u2013 that mothers are the backbone of our families. Every day, and especially on Mother\u2019s Day, California continues to show up for working mothers and caregivers, providing them with the space and time to care for their newborns, their families, and themselves. California will continue leading with policies that support a stronger, healthier future for families across the state.”<\/h4>\n
First Partner Jennifer Siebel\u00a0Newsom<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Managed by the Employment Development Department (EDD), PFL provides up to eight weeks of benefit payments to Californians who take time off work to bond with a new baby (including foster and adopted children), care for a seriously ill loved one, or support a military family member serving abroad.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen a new baby arrives or a loved one needs care, people shouldn\u2019t have to choose between being there for their family and paying the bills,”\u00a0\u00a0said\u00a0Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry\u00a0(D-Winters), chair of the California Legislative Women\u2019s Caucus.<\/strong>\u00a0“California\u2019s Paid Family Leave program gives workers up to eight weeks of support and is a practical step in the right direction to help people take care of their family and loved ones.”<\/p>\n

This past year, PFL also reached a new milestone, receiving more than 482,000 applications \u2014 the highest on record. Of those, 41% were from women, specifically for\u00a0bonding with their new child. Fathers, non-birthing parents, adoptive and foster parents may also qualify for bonding benefits.<\/p>\n

To learn more about the PFL for mothers, click\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPaid Family Leave gives California workers peace of mind financially so they can be there for the moments that matter most,\u201d\u00a0said EDD Director Nancy Farias<\/strong>. \u201cIn 2025, we saw record use of the program with Californians turning to Paid Family Leave to support their families when they needed it. We\u2019re continuing to improve the experience, so the program is easier to understand, access, and manage.\u201d<\/p>\n

Impact by the numbers<\/h2>\n
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    Since its launch in 2004, PFL has paid over $19 billion to support Californians when they need time away to support their families.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Approximately 4.9 million claims have been processed since its inception with nearly 88% (4.3 million) used for bonding.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    In 2025, California boosted Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance benefits up to 90% of regular pay for many workers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

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    Californians can engage with PFL through an enhanced chatbot available in the state\u2019s top eight spoken languages.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Bridging the gap for families in the Golden State<\/h2>\n

    In 2024, EDD made the process for how Californians access and manage benefits online simpler by integrating the PFL program into the same online system used by disability customers. As a result, customers can now get claim information conveniently through one portal, myEDD, the department\u2019s online access to benefit programs.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    What you need to know:\u00a0Ahead of...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80752","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ca-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=80752"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80752\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80753,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80752\/revisions\/80753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=80752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=80752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lapost.us\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=80752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}