Fathers Drive Surge in Paid Bonding Leave Across California

SANTA ANA, Calif. — In a sign of shifting domestic norms and updated state policies, men are filing paid family leave claims at rates unheard of a generation ago. California figures show fathers accounted for 51% of paid bonding leave claims in 2025, marking the first time in state history that men surpassed women in filing for the benefit. That figure represents a stark transformation since the state first launched its program in 2004. At the time, men made up roughly 18% of bonding leave claim applications. The state distinguishes family or bonding leave from the medical and disability leave designed specifically for mothers recovering physically from childbirth.

Higher Wage Replacement Drives Participation

Policy experts attribute the rise in male participation to changes that make time away from work financially feasible. In 2025, California raised the wage replacement rate for family leave, enabling some workers to receive up to 90% of their regular pay during their period of leave. “That makes it a realistic option for a lot more families, and I think we’re seeing dads and moms responding to that change,” said Molly Weston Williamson, policy director at Paid Leave for All. Williamson noted that the shift reflects broader social changes, pointing out that “we’re in a very different place in terms of our understanding of gender roles, of paternity leave, of dads’ roles than we were 20-plus years ago.”

Similar dynamics have emerged outside California. In states like Colorado and Washington, male applicants have also drawn roughly half of all bonding leave claims, recently outstripping female applicants. For fathers like Karlo Campana of Santa Ana, who has three children under age 4 — Gianna, Giselle, and infant Gianluca — taking leave from his advertising agency job allowed critical early involvement. Campana recalled growing up with a father who worked three jobs, which made it difficult to be present at home. “My wife isn’t doing it on her own,” Campana said. “She doesn’t feel like she’s alone on this journey. She feels like she has support.”

Campana acknowledged initial hesitation about taking time away from work, noting that fathers often feel pressure to act solely as financial providers. But having paid time off offered key relief during a period of heavy adjustment.

Affordability Remains Top Concern for Parents

The surge in paternity leave uptake lands amid broader national debates over household expenses and falling birthrates. While federal leaders have expressed a desire for Americans to have more children, economic pressures remain a major hurdle for growing households. Jeremy Pope, a professor of political science at Brigham Young University and principal investigator of the American Family Survey, stated that financial strain is top of mind for parents. “People really are very worried about the affordability of kids,” Pope said. “I don’t think they want government involved in the decision to have kids. But they worry a lot about how much it costs and they would like to see ways of making those costs smaller or getting help with those costs.”

Demand for institutional support appears widespread among working parents. A Pew Research Center survey of full-time working parents who aren’t self-employed revealed that 84% considered paid parental, family, or medical leave to be “extremely or very helpful.” However, only about half of the respondents reported having access to such benefits through their employers.