Paid parental leave
The Paid Parental Leave scheme provides financial support to eligible parents to take time off work after a birth or adoption.
The Paid Parental Leave scheme was introduced on 1 January 2011. The scheme provides Parental Leave Pay at a rate based on the national minimum wage to support eligible working parents to take time off work to care for their child after a birth or adoption.
Find out about Parental Leave Pay eligibility requirements, the current rate of payment and how to apply on the Services Australia(Opens in a new tab/window) website.
For information on the Paid Parental Leave legislation, read the Paid Parental Leave Guide(Opens in a new tab/window).
As part of the expansion of the scheme, the Government is completing a comprehensive 4 phase evaluation of the Paid Parental Leave scheme. The evaluation will look at the impact of the reforms and the scheme as a whole.
Learn more about the historical evaluation and review of the scheme.
Updates about Paid Parental Leave.