Mothers Make Memories That Last Forever
If you're a mom who's recently given birth or welcomed a new child into your family, you may be eligible for Paid Family Leave (PFL) benefits to bond with your child. Whether you’re already receiving pregnancy Disability Insurance, or you’re planning to file for PFL for the first time, we can help.
Are you pregnant? You could be eligible for disability benefits before your due date and to recover from your baby's birth.
You may qualify for PFL bonding benefits if you:
Your citizenship or immigration status does not affect your eligibility.
San Francisco workers: Your employer may need to pay extra wages while you're receiving PFL benefits. For more information, review the Paid Parental Leave Ordinance.
You can receive up to eight weeks of PFL bonding benefits.
You don't have to use all eight weeks at once. You can take time off, return to work, and use your remaining weeks later—as long as you use them within 12 months of your child's birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
If you have already used some of your eight weeks and want to use the rest, you can one of the following:
Adoptive or foster mom? Visit Paid Family Leave for Adoptive or Foster Parents to learn more.
Get 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave in a 12-month period,
the use them your way.
There are certain reasons you can use Paid Family Leave — we call these reasons qualifying events.
You must use your bonding benefits within 12 months of your child's birth, adoption, or foster care placement.
If you received Disability Insurance benefits for your pregnancy, we'll automatically send you a Claim for Paid Family Leave Benefits – New Mother (DE 2501FP) when:
Complete and submit the form within 41 days of the date you want your bonding claim to begin.
Good news: If you're transitioning directly from a pregnancy disability claim, you do not need to provide proof of your relationship to your child.
Applying online is fast and easy. See what information you need to quickly apply online.
Applying by mail is easy. You will complete parts A and B of the DE 2501F, and provide Proof of Relationship documents.
Same-sex non-birth parents: Select Other as your relationship to the child and provide Proof of Relationship documents.
For more detailed instructions, review PFL Claims Process or Online Tutorials.
Need help managing your claim? Learn what important steps you should take to stay on track.
It is stressful – mom guilt is a real thing. Paid Family Leave kind of helped ease some of the burden. I liked that I didn’t have to think about work for those 8 weeks. I knew there was income coming in. I didn’t have to stress about, ‘OK, I have to have the baby then get back to work as soon as possible.’ It made the transition easier.
