Parental leave in Maine: up to $1,249.12 a week

Quick answers

Eight questions most Maine parents ask

Who qualifies for maternity leave in Maine?

You need at least $7,188 in wages during your base period, the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your leave starts, in Maine covered employment. Self-employed people can opt in. Some employers run an approved private plan instead of the state program, which must be at least equivalent.

How much does maternity leave pay in Maine?

$1,249.12 per week, which is the state average weekly wage itself. The benefit is 90% of your average weekly wage up to half the SAWW, then 66% of the portion above that. The cap resets every July 1, not January 1: it was $1,198.84 through June 30, 2026.

How long is maternity leave in Maine?

Up to 12 weeks per benefit year, and those 12 weeks are shared across every reason for leave: bonding, your own serious health condition, caring for a family member, and military exigency. There is no separate family and medical allowance, so taking 8 weeks of medical recovery leaves 4 for bonding.

Does FMLA cover maternity leave in Maine?

Federal FMLA gives job protection at employers with 50+ employees; Maine PFML pays money. They run at the same time rather than back to back, so 12 weeks of PFML does not buy you 12 weeks on top of FMLA. Maine's own MFMLR adds job protection at employers with 15+ employees.

Does short-term disability cover maternity leave in Maine?

Maine has no state disability program, so any short-term disability is through your employer's private policy. Most STD policies offset against state paid leave, meaning the insurer pays the difference rather than stacking on top. Ask HR which applies before you plan on both.

Can both parents take parental leave in Maine?

Yes. Each parent has their own 12-week benefit year allowance, so a couple can access up to 24 weeks between them. Sequencing them rather than overlapping usually keeps someone home longer, though it means a longer stretch of reduced household income.

What mistakes do parents make with maternity leave in Maine?

The big one is assuming 12 weeks of family leave plus 12 weeks of medical leave. Maine gives 12 combined. Others: not asking whether your employer uses an approved private plan, confusing PFML with MFMLR (one is money, the other is job protection), and planning against a cap that changed on July 1.

How does Parental Leave Pro help?

We check your Maine PFML eligibility against your actual earnings, coordinate the 12 combined weeks with federal FMLA, MFMLR, any employer policy, and PTO, and show you the filing sequence with dates. For couples we model both parents together so you can see how far apart to space the leaves.