Paid parental leave is available for many parents in the US—yet it often goes unused.
A report from McKinsey and Moms First finds that only about two in five eligible parents take paid leave. The biggest barrier is awareness: Many do not know they qualify for state programs. As a result, families miss out on thousands of dollars in benefits, along with critical time to recover and bond.
To address this gap, Moms First launched PaidLeave.ai, a tool to help parents quickly understand their eligibility and navigate the application process, making it easier to claim benefits that already exist.
“What we’re building is not just stronger families through increasing uptake of parental leave,” says Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Moms First, “but a community of people who will have the knowledge and experience to form a movement to realize paid parental leave for all.”
This Mother’s Day, explore insights on how to better support mothers—from expanding paid leave uptake to addressing child care needs, closing the Black maternal health gap, and tackling the “double double shift”—while also strengthening families, workplaces, and the economy.
Moms First and McKinsey team up to increase usage of paid parental leave
Meeting the challenge of moms’ ‘double double’ shift at home and work
Women in the Workplace 2025 report
Closing the Black maternal-health gap: Healthier lives, stronger economies
Staying in the game: How women CEOs build leadership that endures
Closing the women’s health gap: A $1 trillion opportunity to improve lives and economies