Dads Now Take Nearly Equal Parental Leave in Many States

When firefighter A.J. Johnson's first son arrived in 2019, he scraped together six weeks of sick leave while facing teasing from older coworkers who bragged about returning to work just two hours after their kids were born. His newborn still wasn't sleeping through the night when he had to go back to working 24-hour shifts.

Two years later, everything changed. Washington State's new paid family leave program let Johnson take five months off with his second son, and suddenly those same grizzly coworkers were taking full paternity leave too.

Johnson's story reflects a quiet revolution happening across America. In most of the 14 states (plus Washington, D.C.) that now offer paid family leave, dads are taking nearly equal shares of bonding leave compared to moms, according to a new report from Paid Leave For All.

In Colorado and Washington, fathers actually take more bonding leave than mothers. Even in states where dads haven't reached parity yet, their share increased last year.

"Dads really want to be able to take leave to bond with their children," said Molly Weston Williamson, who authored the report as a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. "When presented with the opportunity through this public investment, dads are showing up."

For Johnson, those five months transformed his family. He could support his wife, care for his three-year-old, and bond deeply with his newborn without the anxiety that plagued him the first time around. "It was the most amazing months of my life," he said.

The time wasn't just precious. It was practical, arriving when Covid-19 vaccines weren't yet available for young children and his family needed to navigate safety concerns together.

Why This Inspires

This shift matters beyond individual families. When dads take parental leave, it challenges outdated workplace norms that put unfair burdens on mothers and helps close gender gaps in both childcare and careers.

The cultural change Johnson witnessed at his firehouse shows how policy can reshape attitudes. Once paid leave became available, taking time with a new baby went from something to apologize for to something expected and celebrated.

These programs prove that when we invest in families, fathers step up in ways many workplaces never imagined possible.