South Middlesex Times

Rutgers School of Public Health has conducted research indicating a significant rise in the use of family leave benefits among New Jersey residents following the expansion of the state's Family Leave Insurance program in 2019 and 2020. The study analyzed trends from 2014 to 2022, revealing increases in both the number of eligible claims and the duration of leave taken by men and women.

Slawa Rokicki, an assistant professor at Rutgers School of Public Health, stated, "We know from previous evidence that access to paid leave for pregnant women and their partners has many benefits, including supporting breastfeeding initiation and duration, increasing engagement with postpartum care, and reducing the risk of postpartum depression."

The findings are outlined in a policy brief titled “Progress in Increasing Access to Paid Family Leave in New Jersey: An Evidence-Based Strategy for Improving Maternal and Infant Health.” The brief emphasizes the positive effects of legislation signed by Governor Phil Murphy in 2019, which expanded paid family leave from six weeks to twelve weeks while increasing wage replacement rates from 66% to 85%.

First Lady Tammy Murphy expressed her support for these changes as part of her Nurture NJ initiative aimed at improving maternal health outcomes. "Supporting mothers throughout their pregnancies and into the early days of parenthood is mission-critical to our goal of making New Jersey the safest, most equitable place to deliver and raise a baby," she said.

In addition to extending leave benefits, New Jersey introduced tools like the Maternity Coverage Timeline Tool developed in collaboration with the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (DOL) and the Office of Innovation. This tool provides parents with personalized estimates for benefit coverage periods.

Labor Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo commented on these efforts: "We're truly seeing how paid family leave is making a difference for families in New Jersey, especially with the addition of innovative resources... It's exciting to watch our efforts pay off as we connect with so many workers, growing families, and employers."

The ongoing evaluation by Rutgers School of Public Health under Leslie M. Kantor seeks further insights into Nurture NJ's impact on maternal health outcomes across the state.