Paid leave · Tennessee
Tennessee paid family leave: what new parents get (2026)
There is no paid family leave program in Tennessee: the state pays nothing while you bond with a new baby in 2026. State law gives up to 4 months of leave for birth or adoption at employers with 100 or more full-time workers. At Tennessee's median household income, 12 unpaid weeks add up to about $16,615 of income.
Your options in Tennessee
| State paid family leave | None in Tennessee. 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 Tennessee 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 | Tennessee leave for adoption, pregnancy, childbirth and nursing (T.C.A. 4-21-408): employers with 100 or more full-time employees; you need 12 consecutive months full time; up to 4 months; paid or unpaid, at the employer's choice. Covers adoption, pregnancy, childbirth and nursing an infant. Official text |
| State paid sick leave | No statewide paid sick leave law for private employers in Tennessee. |
| Disability pay for the birth | No state disability program in Tennessee. 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. |
| Paid leave insurance | Public Chapter 91 of 2023 (SB 454) lets insurers sell paid family leave insurance that employers can buy for their workers; ask HR whether yours has a policy. Official source |
| 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 Tennessee
The median household in Tennessee earned $71,997 in 2024 (U.S. Census Bureau ACS 1-year, table B19013), so 12 weeks without that income is about $16,615. Your own loss depends on your pay and whether a partner keeps working. After leave, a full-time infant spot at a Tennessee child care center averaged $13,126 a year: child care costs in Tennessee. Put your own pay into the baby budget calculator for Tennessee 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 Tennessee: postpartum Medicaid coverage in Tennessee 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, “Tennessee Paid Family Leave (2026)”, thismom.com/paid-family-leave/tennessee/ (updated ). Data free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 with a link to the page.