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Delaware Paid Family and Medical Leave (Healthy Delaware Families Act)

Delaware's Paid Family and Medical Leave program, created by the Healthy Delaware Families Act, provides paid, job-protected leave for eligible workers to bond with a new child, care for a family member with a serious health condition, manage their own serious health condition, or address military exigencies. Benefits launched January 1, 2026. Employer-funded with optional employee cost-sharing.

Up to 12 weeks per year for parental leave (bonding with a new child) and up to 6 weeks every 24 months for medical leave, family caregiving leave, or military-related leave. Pays 80% of the employee's average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $900 per week in 2026. Employers with 10-24 employees are required to provide parental leave only; employers with 25+ employees must provide the full program. Includes job protection.

Eligibility

  • Care recipient must have a qualifying disability
  • Employer must have 10+ employees
  • Must have worked 1250+ hours
  • Relationship: spouse, parent, child

Questions to ask the program

These are questions to ask the program, not a verdict on your eligibility. Confirm the current rules directly with the program.

  • Does the person receiving care live in Delaware? — Residency is usually the first thing a program checks.
  • Does your relationship to the person — spouse, parent, or child — count for this program?
  • What counts as a qualifying disability or level of care need, and what documentation shows it?
  • Does your employer have at least 10 employees?
  • Do the work hours meet the minimum (our record lists 1250 hours)?
  • Is there a caregiver-specific department, coordinator, or support line? Ask for it by name. — Many agencies have one that isn’t advertised on the website.
  • What documents do you need from us to start an application?
  • Is there a waitlist right now, and how long is it?

Services

Up to 12 weeks per year for parental leave (bonding with a new child) and up to 6 weeks every 24 months for medical leave, family caregiving leave, or military-related leave. Pays 80% of the employee's average weekly wage, up to a maximum of $900 per week in 2026. Employers with 10-24 employees are required to provide parental leave only; employers with 25+ employees must provide the full program. Includes job protection.

How to apply

  • File a claim online through Delaware LaborFirst, the administrative portal for Delaware Paid Leave.

Use the official program page for application details: official program page.

  • fmla (companion): DE PFML can run concurrently with FMLA leave