A promise (finally) that is about to come true
Announced with great fanfare two years ago, the birth leave is about to become reality. The government has just included it in the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS) for 2026. The idea? Offer both parents real time to breathe when a baby arrives and rebalance the often messy starts of family life.
In detail, this leave would replace the current paternity and childcare leaves. It would last six weeks in total, of which three immediately after birth, and another three to be requested in the following six months. A more flexible format, and also better paid: the remuneration should be aligned with that of maternity leavei.e. approximately 100% of the net salary, within the limit of the social security ceiling.
Parental equality in the crosshairs
Behind this new right there is a political message: encourage true sharing of parental responsibilitiesfrom birth. In France, only 7 out of 10 fathers take advantage of paternity leave, often for economic reasons or because their company continues to despise it.
With this reform the government hopes to change habits and send a strong signal: taking care of a newborn is not “helping”, it is be a full-fledged parent.
But the provision also responds to a broader question: that of decline in the birth rate. Fewer than 680,000 babies will be born in 2023, the first time since World War II. Through this leave, the executive hopes to make the birth of a child a little less incompatible with a stable professional life and a decent income.
A social reform… but not totally inclusive
On paper, the fit seems about right. Except that great blur persists: Will all families be affected?
The text does not explicitly mention the parents PMA or families adopters. And this is problematic. Because this is not the first time that non-traditional family configurations have been overlooked in social systems. We remember paternity leave, accessible only to female couples after the 2021 bioethics law.
Without rapid clarification, birth leave therefore risks reproducing the same inequalities, leaving behind families that do not fit into the classic “dad-mum-baby” scheme.
And while we’re at it, other gray areas remain: what can I say separated parentsof multiple birthsor even mixed families ? The government promises details “before summer 2026”. But we know: there is often a huge difference between the political announcement and the reality of the decrees.
A turning point that calls into question the means
Behind the scenes, this social reform takes place in a tense budget context. Integrated into the Social Security financing project, it makes Bercy shudder. 100% compensation for both parents is a big promise, but it is also hundreds of millions of euros to find.
The government defends the idea of ”social investment”, which would benefit family health and professional equality in the long term. But for the unions the risk is clear: a nice measure on paper, but difficult to apply for temporary workers, the self-employed or those whose employers are reluctant to grant leave.
“It is not enough to create a right, everyone must be able to exercise it,” recalls a union representative.
And now?
Birth leave is a bit like the new bittersweet promise of French family policy: ambitious, symbolic, but still fragile. If it sees the light in 2026, as expected, it could transform the way we think about the first months of a child’s life, as long as the text doesn’t forget anyone and companies follow.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
