Paid leave · Illinois
Illinois paid family leave: what new parents get (2026)
There is no paid family leave program in Illinois: the state pays nothing while you bond with a new baby in 2026. Your employer must consider time off to recover from childbirth as a pregnancy accommodation. State paid sick leave adds up to 40 paid hours a year.
Your options in Illinois
| State paid family leave | None in Illinois. Thirteen states and DC have programs (U.S. Department of Labor); see the state list. |
|---|---|
| Federal FMLA | Up to 12 weeks unpaid, job-protected, with health insurance kept, for an Illinois worker whose employer has 50+ employees within 75 miles, after 12 months and 1,250 hours there. U.S. Department of Labor |
| State leave law | Illinois Human Rights Act pregnancy accommodation (775 ILCS 5/2-102(J)): employers with 1 or more employees; no set number of weeks; pay not required. Covers time off to recover from pregnancy or childbirth as an accommodation. Official text |
| State paid sick leave | Illinois Paid Leave for All Workers Act (820 ILCS 192), since Jan 1, 2024: 1 hour per 40 worked, up to 40 hours in 12 months, at employers of any size (Chicago and Cook County workers follow local rules). Uses: any reason, so it covers birth recovery and newborn care. Official source |
| Disability pay for the birth | No state disability program in Illinois. Short-term disability insurance pays during birth recovery only if your employer offers it or you bought a policy before the pregnancy; check your benefits. |
| Tax help | 2026 Child Tax Credit of $2,200 per child, the dependent care FSA and the care credit: baby tax benefits for 2026. |
What unpaid leave costs in Illinois
The median household in Illinois earned $83,211 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year, table B19013), so 12 weeks without that income is about $19,203. Your own loss depends on your pay and whether a partner keeps working. After leave, a full-time infant spot at an Illinois child care center averaged $19,807 a year: child care costs in Illinois. Put your own pay into the baby budget calculator for Illinois to see the full first year.
Birth-parent totals in the states that do pay are on paid maternity leave by state.
Other help in Illinois: postpartum Medicaid coverage in Illinois and the WIC income limits for pregnancy and the first year.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), state law, state sick leave law.
Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), state law, state sick leave law.
Cite this page: This Mom, “Illinois Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/illinois/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.