With a new year comes updates to many state Paid Family Leave (PFL) programs. While each state is on its own timeline, we typically see changes to weekly benefit amounts, weeks provided, and percentages in January or July. Programs don’t announce changes every year, but we also see new PFL programs launch at the beginning of the year. Below is a straightforward summary of what’s new in 2025—and a look ahead to 2026.
Unfortunately, paid parental leave is very fragmented to this day and most parents need to use a combination of vacation or PTO along with these state mandated programs. In the 10 states with programs as of 2025, new parents can use PFL for parental leave. This is sometimes called Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) and some states have other names for their programs.
Without a national policy, parents in states that do not have PFL programs are left to completely rely on available PTO or short term disability, if they’re giving birth. This leaves parental leave unpaid for many non-birthing parents, including those who are adopting or fostering.
However, the updates provided are for states that have mandated PFL type of programs to help supplement wages lost during a parental leave (or family leave).
Here’s what’s new for existing paid leave programs that can be used for parental leave in the United States for 2025. Many programs are updating:
As of 1/1/2025, the weekly benefit award (WBA) rate for both state disability insurance (SDI) and PFL updated to approximately 70-90% of the average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum of $1,681. This will result in higher benefit payments for new claims starting in 2025.
FAMLI officially became available in January 2024, and they’re already making updates. As of 1/1/2025, the weekly rate updated to approximately 90% of the average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum of $1,324.21.
As of 1/1/2025, Connecticut’s Paid Leave weekly rate updated to approximately 95% up to $981/week to account for the increased Connecticut minimum wage. This applies to any new claims beginning after January 1st.
As of 1/1/2025, the weekly rate for DC’s PFL updated to a range between 50% and 90% of wages, up to 1.5 times DC’s minimum wage, not to exceed $1,153 per week.
As of 1/1/2025, the weekly rate for Massachusett’s PFML updated to a range between 50% and 80% of the average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $1,170.64 per week.
As of 1/1/2025, the weekly rate for New Jersey’s FLI program was updated to approximately 85% of your average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum $1,081. Other changes to consider is that employees contribute 0.33% of the first $165,400 in covered wages, with $545.82 being the maximum FLI worker contribution for 2025.
As of 1/1/2025, New York’s PFL weekly rate updated to approximately 67% of the average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum $1,177.32. This is about $26 more than the maximum weekly benefit rate for 2024 and employees will contribute 0.388% of their gross wages per pay period, with a maximum annual contribution of $354.53. Check out New York PFL Benefits Calculator to see what your claim could look like for 2025..
As of 1/1/2025, Washington’s PFML weekly rate updated to 90% of the average weekly pay, up to the maximum of $1,542 per week for the calendar year. Additional updates are that the premium rate increased to .92%, employers will now pay 28.48% of the total premium and employees pay 71.52%.
Before we move on to programs in the works for 2026, there were a few recent updates in July or 2024 we didn’t include in the list above. Paid Leave Oregon (PLO) was updated in July 2024, and the weekly rate is now approximately 65% of the average weekly wage, up to a weekly maximum of $1,568.60. Additionally, Rhode Island’s Temporary Caregiver Insurance (TCI) program was updated in July 2024 and the maximum weekly benefit rate is now $1,070.
The good news is that there are four new programs that will be launching in 2026. Here’s what we know so far:
Delaware Paid Leave will go live on January 1, 2026. The program is expected to provide 80% of their weekly wages for 12 weeks per year, up to $900 per week for the purposes of caring for a new child or family member, or their own serious medical condition. The program is expected to be funded by less than 1% of the employee’s weekly salary, up to half the cost. Payroll deductions began January 1, 2025.
Maine’s new PFL program is starting 1/1/26, but payroll deductions for Maine-based employees began at the beginning of 2025. Employers with 15+ employees will contribute 1% of wages and deduct up to 50% of the contribution from employees’ wages. This drops to 0.5% of wages for employers with less than 15 employees, with quarterly wage reporting starting 4/1/2025. Visit Maine’s Department of Labor for more information.
Maryland’s Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) is expected to launch beginning July 1, 2026. The program will provide up to 12 weeks to care for themselves or a family member, with benefits up to $1,000 per week. Payroll deductions begin July 1, 2025, with these contributions going to a trust fund to start paying benefits in July 2026. All employers with at least one worker in Maryland will be required to offer PFML with contribution rates dependent on employee count. You can learn more about employer requirements and payroll deductions on Maryland’s Paid Leave website.
Minnesota Paid Leave will be the 13th state to launch a state mandated paid leave program,. Expected to begin January 1, 2026. It is designed to provide up to 12 weeks to care for a family member or medical condition. Minnesota employers can choose to implement a plan that’s equivalent or better than the state plan beginning 2025.
As PFL programs continue to change, HR teams should stay informed about changes to benefit amounts, contribution requirements, and administrative processes. Keep these updates in mind as you plan payroll, benefits, and leave policies for 2025—and look ahead to new programs coming in 2026 to ensure a smooth transition and compliance. Paid parental leave is more important than ever as we move into 2026. For more information for applying to each state’s program, check out Parento’s PFL Guide. Or chat with our team to see how we can help you manage these changing programs and offer paid leave.
