Paid family leave in Massachusetts for new parents: How much you get and how to apply

If you work in Massachusetts, you can usually get up to 12 weeks of paid leave to bond with a new baby, adopted child or foster child, at up to $1,230.39 a week in 2026. Any parent can take it, of any gender. Apply at paidleave.mass.gov, and tell your employer first.

By our editors · Facts checked October 17, 2026

The short version

• Bonding leave: up to 12 weeks in a benefit year, any time in the first 12 months after a birth, adoption or foster placement.
• Pregnancy and recovery: birth parents can also take medical leave (up to 20 weeks). The total cap is 26 weeks a year. Apply for medical leave first.
• Pay: a share of your wages, capped at $1,230.39 a week in 2026 ($1,284.61 in 2027). The first 7 days are unpaid.
• Both parents can take leave, at the same time or one after the other.
• Your job is protected once you tell your employer you need leave.

Who qualifies

According to the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML), you can take bonding leave if all of these are true:

• You’re a parent or legal guardian who has welcomed a new child, or is about to.
• You work in Massachusetts for a Massachusetts business or state agency that takes part in the program.
• You’ve earned enough in the past year to meet the state’s earnings requirement.

Three cases to check before you count on it:

• Self-employed? You’re covered only if you opted in through MassTaxConnect.
• Work for a city or town? Municipalities are excluded unless your employer formally opted in. Ask HR.
• Does your employer have its own approved plan? Then you apply through that plan, not the state. If you apply to the state anyway, your application will be denied.

How much you’ll get

The state replaces part of your average weekly wage. In 2026 the state average weekly wage is $1,922.48, and the math works like this:

• The part of your weekly pay up to $961.24 (half the state average) is paid at 80%.
• The part above $961.24 is paid at 50%.
• The total can’t go over $1,230.39 a week.

Your average weekly pay	Estimated weekly benefit (2026)
$600	$480.00
$1,000	$788.37
$1,500	$1,038.37
$2,000 or more	$1,230.39 (the maximum)

Things that change what lands in your account:

• The 7-day wait. Payments usually start after 7 unpaid calendar days, and those days count toward your 12 weeks. You can use vacation or sick time to cover them, and your job is still protected.
• Topping up with paid time off. You can add your employer’s vacation or sick pay on top of the state benefit, as long as the two together don’t go over your normal weekly wage.
• Taxes. When you apply, you can choose to have 5% withheld for state taxes and 10% for federal taxes. You can’t change that choice after you’re approved.

How to apply, step by step

1. Tell your employer. Try to give at least 30 days’ notice before your leave starts. That conversation is also what starts your protection against pay cuts, losing benefits and retaliation.
2. Birth parent? Apply for medical leave first for pregnancy and recovery, then for bonding leave.
3. Apply online at paidleave.mass.gov. You can apply before or after the baby arrives. If you’re self-employed or unemployed, call the PFML Contact Center at (833) 344-7365 instead.
4. Prove who you are. A color copy of your Massachusetts driver’s license or ID is easiest. Other documents work too.
5. Prove the birth or placement. For a birth, send one of these: the birth certificate, a statement with the child’s birth date from your provider or the child’s provider, or a hospital birth record. For adoption or foster care, send a statement from the agency, the child’s provider or DCF with the placement date.
6. Pick a schedule. You can take your weeks all at once, as a reduced schedule (for example, 3 days a week), or as separate days off.

Mistakes that cost families weeks

• Waiting too long. All bonding leave must be used before the child’s first birthday (or one year after an adoption or foster placement). Unused weeks don’t carry over.
• Counting on extra weeks for twins. The 12-week limit stays the same even with more than one birth or placement in the same benefit year.
• Applying to the state when your employer has a private plan. Ask HR first.
• Forgetting the benefit year. It starts the Sunday before your first day of leave and lasts 52 weeks. Your weekly rate stays the same for that whole year.

Planning child care for when leave ends

Infant spots in Massachusetts fill up early, so start looking while you’re still pregnant or waiting on a placement. See how to find a good daycare near you, what child care costs in Massachusetts and help paying for child care. The 2026 child care tax breaks can cut the bill too.

Quick answers

Can dads and non-birth parents take it? Yes. Bonding leave is for any parent or legal guardian, of any gender.

Can both parents be off at the same time? Yes. Each eligible parent can take up to 12 weeks, together or one after the other.

Is it the same as FMLA? No. FMLA is a federal law, and Massachusetts PFML is a state program. Other leave you take, including FMLA, can affect how much PFML time and pay you get, so tell DFML about any other leave or benefits.

Will the maximum change? Yes, every year. It’s $1,230.39 a week for benefit years starting in 2026 and $1,284.61 for those starting in 2027.

Sources

• PFML: About family leave to bond with a child (Mass.gov, DFML)
• Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) overview and benefits (Mass.gov, DFML)
• How PFML weekly benefit amounts are calculated and/or changed (Mass.gov, DFML, updated October 9, 2026)
• PFML benefit calculator (Mass.gov)