The Intersection of Paid Family Leave and Safety Net Generosity for Low-Income Families

Considering the intersection in program design generosity between state-sponsored Paid Family Leave (PFL) and safety net programs is critical to understanding resources available to low-wage workers during care-related interruptions from work, given that they are less likely to have access to employer-provided paid leave. These analyses also offer guidance to state and federal governments in the design of future PFL programs and the safety net to better support low-wage workers during caregiving interruptions from work. To these ends, we examine variations in safety net generosity relevant to low-wage workers’ caregiving-related work interruptions between PFL and non-PFL states. We also compare the generosity of selected provisions within PFL states. To do so, we use publicly available data on PFL and safety net policy design from several sources. We include a diverse set of social safety net provisions relevant to caregiving, including cash welfare, Medicaid, childcare subsidies, paid sick days. and select tax credits. For nearly all provisions we consider, PFL states are more generous than non-PFL states. We also find that among PFL states, there is variation in both PFL and safety net generosity. Our findings suggest that future passage of state and federal PFL policies would bolster weaker social safety nets in non-PFL states. Our findings also suggest policy and practice implications for future PFL programs such as the need for social workers to have adequate policy knowledge of both PFL and the safety net to effectively service clients, especially those that are low-wage workers.