Mums and dads to get SIX MONTHS of paid parental leave – and it can be shared between them

Families will soon be able to access more paid parental leave thanks to an expansion of the scheme.

Laws introduced to parliament on Thursday will give parents access to six months of paid parental leave in 2026.

Families already have access to 20 weeks of paid leave, but under the changes this will increase by two weeks each year from July 2024 until the 26-week rate is reached in 2026.

Families will soon be able to access more paid parental leave thanks to an expansion of the scheme (file photo)

Although the 26 weeks can be shared by both parents, the changes will result in each parent receiving four weeks of reserved leave as part of the scheme.

Both parents could also use the four weeks of reserved leave at the same time, on a use-it-or-lose-it basis.

Social Services Minister Amanda Rishworth told Parliament the new laws would give families more flexibility.

“Paid parental leave is critical for families, critical for women and critical for the economy,” she said Thursday.

“We know that paid parental leave is essential for the health and well-being of parents and their children.”

The government will spend around $4.4 billion per year on paid parental leave by 2026/2027.

It is estimated that 180,000 families will benefit from the expansion of the scheme every year.

Ms Rishworth said the scheme was intended to give both parents paid leave to care for their children.

“Research shows that leave periods reserved for partners and not transferable to both parents encourage secondary caregivers to take that leave,” she says.

‘It helps normalize the use of parental leave by fathers and signals that parenting is a shared and equal partnership.’

Of the almost 179,000 people on paid parental leave in the 2021/2022 financial year, 99 percent were women.

The expansion of paid parental leave to six months was first noticed last year.

Jessica Rudd, chief executive of parent advocacy group The Parenthood, welcomed the expansion of the program but said it needs to be expanded further.

“A new baby is life-changing and paid parental leave allows parents to bond with their newcomer and adjust in that first year, while providing crucial financial support,” she said.

‘The federal government should step up its ambition with an extension of the paid parental leave scheme to 52 weeks, to be shared equally between parents if there are two carers.’

Business Council of Australia CEO Bran Black said the six months of furlough would bring flexibility to caring responsibilities.

“The inflexibility of paid parental leave is a barrier to women’s ability to fully participate in the economy,” he said.

“Removing all barriers in Australia would allow an additional 461,000 full-time people to enter the workforce and add an additional $128 billion to the economy annually.”

The Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive By Five initiative, which calls for more support for early childhood care, also backed the changes.

However, director Jay Weatherill said more needs to be done to support families.

“Even with the statutory increases, paid parental leave entitlements in Australia remain far too low compared to comparable countries,” he said.

“Our paid parental leave rates are not sufficient to adequately support the financial needs of families.”