State-Level Paid Family Leave Policy Project
Client: Program Support Center (PSC), Office on Women’s Health (OWH)
Mission Analytics Group worked with the Office on Women’s Health (OWH) to explore the effects of state-level paid family leave (PFL) programs on the physical and mental health status of women within a year after childbirth. The project focused on women in the four states where state-level PFL policies have been implemented. While existing research indicates that PFL policies can support the well-being of children and families, the purpose of this study was to further explore the specific effects of PFL on women’s health behaviors and outcomes, with an emphasis on state-level rather than employer sponsored programs. The project also examined how the health effects of these state-level policies may affect women’s well-being and their ability to fulfill their roles in the workplace, family or community. The aim of this project was to provide evidence related to the potential health benefits of state-level PFL for women in order to inform recommendations for national paid family leave policy options that ultimately may benefit working women, their families, and their employers.