Paid family leave · District of Columbia · 2026
District of Columbia paid family leave for new parents (2026)
District of Columbia pays up to 12 weeks of bonding leave for a new child in 2026, up to $1,100 a week. District of Columbia pays 90% of weekly wages up to $1,104, plus 50% of wages above that, up to the $1,100 cap.
Key facts
| Program | DC Paid Family Leave (Office of Paid Family Leave, DOES) |
|---|---|
| Status | paying benefits since 2020 |
| Bonding weeks for a new child | 12 |
| How the benefit is figured | District of Columbia pays 90% of weekly wages up to $1,104, plus 50% of wages above that |
| Weekly maximum | $1,100 |
| Job protection | Program page cites anti-retaliation protection only; job restoration comes from DC FMLA/federal FMLA (not captured this pass) |
| Employee payroll cost | None – fully employer-funded, no payroll deductions |
| Figures in effect | max $1,100 from 2026-10-01 (was $1,190); threshold from 2026-07-01 |
Estimate your own benefit
Enter your pay in the baby budget calculator to see your estimated weekly benefit, the pay gap during leave and what child care costs in District of Columbia after you go back. Child care prices: District of Columbia infant care.
Sources: code.dccouncil.gov, dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov, dcpaidfamilyleave.dc.gov, does.dc.gov.
Last verified October 5, 2026 against official sources: DC Paid Family Leave (Office of Paid Family Leave, DOES).
Cite this page: This Mom, “District of Columbia Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/district-of-columbia/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.