Maine’s new paid family and medical leave could make certain jobs more accessible, equitable

Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) and Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston) cheer supporters of paid family and medical leave who rallied at the Maine State House in May 2023. The bill was signed into law a month later. (Courtesy of Maine Paid Family Leave campaign)

As a millennial and someone hoping to have children someday, state Sen. Mattie Daughtry (D-Cumberland) said often she talks with her peers about the costs that come with having a child. Not only from pregnancy, birth, delivery and child care, Daughtry said, but “what happens if the child gets sick?”

Many Mainers are forced to choose between work and caring for their child or another family member that may need their help. But the state’s paid family and medical leave program, which eligible public and private sector workers should be able to access starting in May 2026, could offer a way to do both.

The program — which was signed into law one year ago Thursday — will allow workers to take up to 12 weeks of paid leave for the birth of a child, or to care for a sick loved one, among other reasons.

Maine Dept. of Labor says public is ‘definitely engaging’ in paid leave rulemaking

“This is completely transformational for the ability for Mainers to afford to have children,” said Daughtry, who co-sponsored the legislation, speaking during a virtual press conference on Thursday. Daughtry and others highlighted how the new rule, which is still being finalized, will make many jobs in the state more accessible and equitable for parents and family caregivers.

In the year since the bill was signed into law in Maine, Daughtry said she has enjoyed watching people realize that they will be able to afford to have children once the program goes live.

Making the State House accessible to parents

Daughtry’s colleagues in the State House will also benefit from the program.

Currently, legislators aren’t granted parental leave, Daughtry previously told Maine Morning Star. However, under the new law, that will change, which Daughtry and others say will make legislative work more accessible to people who have, or want to have, families.

Frankly, as it stands now, a lawmaker would most likely need to step down if they have a baby in office, said Dania Bowie, development and communications coordinator for the Maine Women’s Lobby. Currently, most people don’t run for office when they are pregnant or shortly after giving birth, Bowie explained.

‘Sandwich caregivers’ to benefit

But the benefits extend far beyond legislators. There are 166,000 known caregivers in Maine, said Noel Bonam, executive director of AARP Maine.

And while paid leave can help people looking to grow their families, Bonam said it will also make it easier for what he called “sandwich caregivers,” who are caring for young and elderly family members, to juggle work and personal responsibilities.

For a time, Rep. Kristen Cloutier (D-Lewiston), who also cosponsored the paid leave bill, was a “sandwich caregiver” trying to care for both her young child and an aging family member.

Given Maine’s aging population, Bonam said a lot of Mainers between the ages of 40 to 60 find themself in this position and, according to a 2022 study from the Cutler Institute , most of those caregivers are women who have to take time off work or cut back to part-time.

Cloutier said she was fortunate to have an accommodating employer, but recognizes that paid leave is mostly available to people who earn higher wages, underscoring how the new program will make it more equitable for people who earn lower wages or work hourly and don’t currently have access to the benefit.

The window for the public to provide feedback on the proposed rules closed earlier this week, and the Department of Labor said Tuesday that nearly 300 individuals shared their thoughts, which they are now in the process of reviewing. Based on the feedback, the department may make additional changes to the proposed rules, but a final version must be adopted by January 1.

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