Paid leave · Virginia
Virginia paid family leave: what new parents get (2026)
Virginia passed a paid family and medical leave program in 2026, but it does not pay until December 1, 2028, so a new parent in 2026 gets no state bonding pay. Until then, federal FMLA gives up to 12 unpaid, job-protected weeks if you qualify. Twelve unpaid weeks at the Virginia median household income would be about $21,252.
Your options in Virginia
| State paid family leave | Passed in 2026, not paying yet: claims and benefits begin by December 1, 2028; up to 12 weeks a benefit year, including bonding with a new child and recovery from childbirth; contributions begin by April 1, 2028. Va. Code 60.2-801 |
|---|---|
| Federal FMLA | Up to 12 weeks unpaid, job-protected, with health insurance kept, for a Virginia 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 | No Virginia law found that gives private-sector workers job-protected leave for a birth or adoption beyond FMLA (searched the state code and labor department, October 2026). |
| State paid sick leave | Virginia statewide paid sick leave (2026 Acts chapters 1128 and 1129) takes effect July 1, 2027: 1 hour per 30 worked, up to 40 hours a year; today it covers only home health workers. Va. Code 40.1-33.6:2 |
| Disability pay for the birth | No state disability program in Virginia. 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 Virginia
The median household in Virginia earned $92,090 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year, table B19013), so 12 weeks without that income is about $21,252. Your own loss depends on your pay and whether a partner keeps working. After leave, a full-time infant spot at a Virginia child care center averaged $16,796 a year: child care costs in Virginia. Put your own pay into the baby budget calculator for Virginia 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 Virginia: postpartum Medicaid coverage in Virginia and the WIC income limits for pregnancy and the first year.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), Va. Code 60.2-801.
Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), Va. Code 60.2-801.
Cite this page: This Mom, “Virginia Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/virginia/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.