20 Years After Californians Could First Access Paid Family Leave: Advocates Celebrate and Call for Paid Leave for All Californians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

July 1, 2024

Contact: 

Katie Duberg, katie@workfamilyca.org 

20 Years After Californians Could First Access Paid Family Leave:

 Advocates Celebrate and Call for Paid Leave for All Californians

July 1, 2024 - State Senator María Elena Durazo, and a coalition of advocates, workers, parents, caregivers and small business owners gathered in Sacramento to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of California’s landmark Paid Family Leave program and highlight the  importance of this law and the need to keep improving access.

In the 20 years since Californians could first access Paid Family Leave on July 1, 2004, millions of workers have used the program to bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member. In that time, lawmakers, advocates, and agency leads have worked together to put numerous improvements into effect, with more coming soon, including SB 951(Durazo), which will increase payments for low and middle income earners to 90% of their regular pay starting January 1, 2025. 

“As we look back upon and celebrate the past 20 years of Paid Family Leave in California, we also eagerly look to the future,” said Senator María Elena Durazo (D- Los Angeles). “Next year, legislation that I authored providing middle and low income Californians 90 percent of their wages back when using Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance will go into effect.  With that change in the law, more families will be able to afford to take leave when they need to care for a new child, a seriously ill family member or themselves while recovering from serious illness or injury.”

"Today we celebrate twenty years of Californians taking Paid Family Leave to bond with a new child or care for a family member. As part of the coalition that led the campaign to pass paid leave, I couldn't be prouder -- millions of workers and families have benefitted from this program and advocates continue to work to improve access. I'm especially proud of the successful advocacy and grassroots campaigns that led to making our law more inclusive and I’m excited for the next phase. As a mom who took paid leave to bond with my twins 18 years ago, I know how incredibly valuable this program is to us and our families." said Jenya Cassidy, Director of the California Work & Family Coalition.

“I was working in a hospital when I had my first child.  As a new mom I really needed time off work to adjust to having a new child in the family. Having that income while on leave was very reassuring and gave me peace of mind knowing I could pay for my baby’s needs, pay rent and other basic expenses.”said Selam Jaser, Parent Voice Leader. “Also, I was breastfeeding and the time at home to bond with my child was very important to establish breastfeeding.”  

“The Paid Family Leave program was groundbreaking when it was implemented 20 years ago because it recognized our common humanity and placed value on care,” said Sharon Terman, Director of the Work and Family Program at Legal Aid at Work. “Paid Family Leave ensures that we can care for our families without having to risk the paycheck we need to pay rent or put food on the table. Today we celebrate the significant improvements we’ve won over the past 20 years and look forward to continuing to strengthen the program to ensure that all Californians can access these life-changing benefits.”

“Over the past two decades, there has been significant growth in California’s Paid Family Leave program.  It has evolved with the support of current and former governors, legislative partners and advocate groups to add new benefit types, longer benefit periods, and higher reimbursement rates. Today, we are proud to support workers who are taking time off work to bond with a new child, care for an ill or injured family member, or help a family member during their military deployment.  Our goal is for families to have the time they need, in the moments when they need it most." said Melissa Stone, Deputy Director, Disability Insurance Branch, Employment Development Department. "As we continue to serve a growing and dynamic workforce, we are committed to ongoing modernization of the Paid Family leave program.  We are dedicated to improving our processes, raising program awareness, and removing barriers”.

"For two decades now, California has led in protecting the income of workers who need to take time off to welcome a new family member or care for a sick one," said Jessica Bartholow, Director of Government Relations for SEIU California. "Research shows that doing so reduces the likelihood that families will become impoverished as a result of significant life events. SEIU has been proud to support recent efforts to ensure that the lowest paid workers, mostly women and people of color, can benefit from a more adequate wage replacement and we call on federal lawmakers to join other high wealth countries to establish a national paid family and medical leave program."

“California’s small businesses have benefited significantly from the state’s paid family and medical leave program over the last two decades mainly because it helps small businesses offer benefits that they couldn’t otherwise afford,” said Bianca Blomquist, California Director for Small Business Majority. “Our research shows that small business owners in California believe it is important to have access to a range of benefits that help retain employees and provide financial security. As the legislature considers measures to expand California’s paid leave program in the future, we hope lawmakers acknowledge that entrepreneurs support a robust benefits infrastructure that promotes quality jobs for those who do not work for large corporations that can afford to offer private leave policies.”

Learn more about California Work & Family Coalition here:   http://www.workfamilyca.org/

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