California's paid family leave journey

California was the first state in the country to pass a comprehensive paid family leave program over 20 years ago. Over these last two decades, the state has made improvements to the program to make it accessible to more workers. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, workers earning low wages ($63,000 or below) receive 90% of their salary while taking paid family leave. This was a major win, championed by the California Work and Family Coalition, because previously low-wage workers would only receive 60% of their salary while utilizing the benefit.

To demonstrate the impact on families, we created a fictional story of a young mother's journey with paid family leave over the years.

As this story demonstrates, improving California's paid family leave program can help thousands of lower-wage workers in California to utilize this benefit and take the time to care for a loved one, something we all deserve. While this is a victory, our state still has a way to go to create a program that is truly inclusive of all Californians. The policy currently does not extend to chosen family, leaving out Californians with all kinds of relationships with people outside of biological family whom they care for and who care for them. Members of the LGBTQ+ community — especially older adults — may support and rely on their chosen family, for example. This is one of the many policy improvements on a list of priorities for 2025 that the California Work and Family Coalition will continue to advance toward truly equitable paid leave for all.