Sunday, May 10, 2026

Question: California became the first state in the nation to provide free diapers to every newborn this weekend—a milestone in new-parent support. But California was also the first state in the U.S. to do something else for new parents back in 2004. What was it?

Answer: California became the first state in the nation to offer paid family leave. Its landmark Paid Family Leave program took effect in 2004, giving eligible workers partial wage replacement while bonding with a new child or caring for a seriously ill family member, long before most other states followed suit.