Paid leave · Wisconsin
Wisconsin paid family leave: what new parents get (2026)
Wisconsin has no state paid family leave program, so new parents there get no state pay to bond with a baby in 2026. Wisconsin's own leave law adds 6 weeks for a birth or adoption at employers with 50 or more workers. At Wisconsin's median household income, 12 unpaid weeks add up to about $17,882 of income.
Your options in Wisconsin
| State paid family leave | None in Wisconsin. 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 a Wisconsin 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 | Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act (Wis. Stat. 103.10): employers with 50 or more permanent employees; you need 52 consecutive weeks and 1,000 hours; 6 weeks in 12 months for a birth or adoption; unpaid, but you may substitute paid leave. Covers birth or adoption. Official text |
| State paid sick leave | No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers in Wisconsin. |
| Disability pay for the birth | No state disability program in Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin
The median household in Wisconsin earned $77,488 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year, table B19013), so 12 weeks without that income is about $17,882. Your own loss depends on your pay and whether a partner keeps working. After leave, a full-time infant spot at a Wisconsin child care center averaged $17,963 a year: child care costs in Wisconsin. Put your own pay into the baby budget calculator for Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: postpartum Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin and the WIC income limits for pregnancy and the first year.
Sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), state law.
Last verified October 6, 2026 against official sources: U.S. Department of Labor (FMLA), state law.
Cite this page: This Mom, “Wisconsin Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/wisconsin/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.