Paid leave · Kansas
Kansas paid family leave: what new parents get (2026)
Kansas does not run a paid family leave program, so bonding time with a new baby is unpaid unless your employer pays. Employers with 4 or more workers must give a reasonable childbearing leave and your job back. At Kansas's median household income, 12 unpaid weeks add up to about $17,426 of income.
Your options in Kansas
| State paid family leave | None in Kansas. 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 Kansas 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 | Kansas Act Against Discrimination rule K.A.R. 21-32-6(d): employers with 4 or more employees; a reasonable period, with your job or an equal one back; pay not required. Covers childbearing. Official text |
| State paid sick leave | No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers in Kansas. |
| Disability pay for the birth | No state disability program in Kansas. 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 Kansas
The median household in Kansas earned $75,514 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year, table B19013), so 12 weeks without that income is about $17,426. Your own loss depends on your pay and whether a partner keeps working. After leave, a full-time infant spot at a Kansas child care center averaged $15,156 a year: child care costs in Kansas. Put your own pay into the baby budget calculator for Kansas 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 Kansas: postpartum Medicaid coverage in Kansas 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, “Kansas Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/kansas/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.