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PAID FAMILY LEAVE LAW NOW ON THE BOOKS

Elaine S. Povich

AARP Bulletin

Published May 01, 2026

Young woman hugging an older woman in a wheelchair

ASI Creative

Delaware residents caught between caring for loved ones with serious health issues or new babies and working at their paying jobs can now get some financial help from the state’s new paid family and medical leave law, which took effect this year with strong support from AARP.

Kim Wharton, AARP Delaware communications director, says the law provides a financial cushion for workers, particularly those over 50, who can’t just give up their jobs to help a family member in distress.

Under the law, employees of companies with 25 workers or more can get 12 paid weeks to care for a new child and six weeks every 24 months to care for a family member with a serious health issue or their own serious health condition. They can also be eligible for caregiving while a loved one is on overseas military deployment. The qualified employee gets 80 percent of their weekly wages, up to $900 per week.

Covered employees are eligible for up to 12 weeks of combined leave annually. It is paid for by a contribution of less than 1 percent of an employee’s weekly wages, and the payment can be shared by both the employer and employee. Companies with 10 to 25 employees must provide at least the parental leave, while companies with fewer than 10 employees are exempt but can opt in.

Chris Counihan, director of paid leave at the Delaware Department of Labor, said the state began accepting claims for paid leave on Jan. 1. The state received more than 2,250 claims in the first two months and made payouts on 250 of those, he says.

Liz Richards, 34, director of the Delaware Cares Coalition, which pushed hard for the new law, says its implementation means “caregivers will no longer be ... faced with an impossible choice between their job and their family.”

She should know. She was on paid leave this spring to care for her newborn daughter.

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Elaine S. Povich is a Maryland resident and freelance journalist who has reported for newspapers, including Newsday and the Chicago Tribune, and for various magazines.