News

If you’d like to talk with a spokesperson regarding Paid Family Leave in California, or to get background history, email media@thenextgeneration.org. Please feel free to review our California Stories, learn more about the history of PFL, or view our recent press releases and news clips, below.

California Stories

Angela Shing

"The expansion of Paid Family Leave to include siblings will be an important step forward for all Californians who must work and care for sick relatives." MORE »
Meet Nury Martinez

“People shouldn’t have to choose between spending time with their newborn babies, caring for a family member or going to work to put food on the table. Having an income source during these critical times can provide peace of mind.” MORE »
Meet Bapa Rao

"Thanks to California's Paid Family Leave program, I was able to take four weeks from work to care for my mother, secure in the knowledge that I wasn't abandoning my family responsibilities at home." MORE »
Meet Jennie Pasquarella

"It's especially important as a working woman to have these benefits, because without it, we have to make the difficult decision of either giving up our jobs, or leaving our very young children in the care of others." MORE »
Meet Larisa Casillas

"I live in the San Francisco Bay Area—an extremely expensive place to live—and it was really important for me to have that income so that I could spend time with my new baby without worrying about how I was going to make ends meet." MORE »
Meet Mary Ignatius

"Now that the hardest part of my youngest son's treatment is over and I am back at work, I can concentrate better and can do my work more effectively because I could take paid time off." MORE »
Meet Trish Hughes Kreis

“I care for my brother, Robert, who is disabled due to lifelong intractable epilepsy." MORE »
Meet Lisa Allen

"Had I been able to take care of my grandmother in her last days, I would have felt more at peace and not felt like I abandoned my family during their time of need." MORE »

Press Releases

New Poll Finds Just 36% Of California Voters Aware Of State’s Paid Family Leave Program
January 14, 2015
California Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Paid Family Leave Program Benefiting More than One Million Families
July 1, 2014
Californians Celebrate 10th Anniversary of Paid Family Leave Program
June 30, 2014
Los Angeles Councilmember Martinez Introduces Citywide Resolution in Support of the FAMILY Act and California’s Paid Family Leave
January 10, 2014
Proposed Federal Paid Family Leave Legislation Takes Key Lessons From California
December 12, 2013

News Clips

California paid family leave program growing – thanks to men
July 7, 2014: Sacramento Bee
There's family value in paid parental leave
July 7, 2014: Los Angeles Times
CA extends paid family leave to in-laws, siblings and others
July 1, 2014: KPCC
Extend California's paid family leave to the nation
June 30, 2014: San Francisco Chronicle
California Gave New Moms and Dads Paid Leave—And It’s Working
June 30, 2014: New Republic
California's Paid Family Leave Program Expansion Starts July 1
June 27, 2014: Capital Public Radio
Six charts that show how stingy America is toward its own families
June 14, 2014: Quartz
This Father’s Day, get him what he really wants: paid paternity leave
June 13, 2014: Reuters
Should staying home with a sick kid cause a working mom so much anxiety?
January 9, 2014: The Washington Post
Allison Guevara : A federal Family Act makes sense
December 28, 2013: Santa Cruz Sentinel
Family Values Hypocrisy
December 16, 2013: The Washington Post
New Act Proposes National Paid Family Leave Policy
December 11, 2013: New York Times
British Fathers Will Get The Same Family Leave As Mothers
December 3, 2013: Think Progress
Gillibrand Steps Up for Working Women
November 14, 2013: American Prospect

Blog Posts

Honoring Dads with a Real Solution: Paid Family Leave

Accessing paid family leave helped my uncle to fulfill and balance his roles as a working parent, a father, and a partner. MORE »
Do you know about paid family leave? Lots of Californians don’t.

California is home to one of the country’s few programs that offer workers paid time off when they have a baby, adopt or foster a new child, or need to take care of a sick family member. But a lot of people don’t know about it. And how can you take advantage of a program you don’t know about? MORE »
Learn More About How to Join #HowICare

Join the #HowICare campaign to let your family, friends and colleagues know how they can learn more about paid family leave. MORE »
Letter to Assemblymember Daly: Coalition Calls for Expanded Paid Family Leave Education

While the majority of Californians pay into the state's Paid Family Leave fund, only four in ten who are eligible are aware of the program. Awareness is especially low among new immigrant, low-income and young workers, creating inequities in access to this important benefit. The California Work & Family Coalition and partner organizations signed on to the letter below to request that the Budget Subcommittee 4 support the use of a small, defined portion of the Paid Family Leave fund for education and enrollment support. MORE »
A Call for Targeted Education Efforts for Families

Paid Family Leave allows most employed Californians to take up to 6 weeks per year of leave from their job and receive up to 55% of their wages up to a maximum. Paid Family Leave (PFL) may be taken for bonding with a new baby or to take care of a sick family member, and is 100% employee funded. It is a critical support to families and has wide benefits. However, low awareness about the program keeps some families from benefiting. Targeted education efforts will raise awareness so that Californians who most need it can take Paid Family Leave. MORE »
Paid Family Leave: The Need for Outreach

Paid Family Leave allows most workers in the state to take up to 6 weeks of leave from their job and receive up to 55% of their wages. Paid Family Leave may be taken for bonding with a new baby or to take care of a sick family member, and is 100% worker funded. MORE »
New National Legislation Takes Important Lessons From California's Paid Family Leave

The FAMILY Act would give workers in every state what Californians already have: The right to be with their families when it really matters. MORE »
Paid Family Leave Makes a Difference to Low Income Families

As a California working mother, I join parents and caregivers across the country in applauding the introduction of the FAMILY Act today. MORE »