May 2026 Newsletter
Thank you for making Advocacy Day 2026 a Success!
On May 6th, 50 Coalition members and partners from across the state took part in a bilingual virtual advocacy day to educate their state representatives on the importance of the Coalition’s 2026 legislative priorities for them and their communities.
Thanks to incredible member and partner advocacy, the bills on our 2026 Legislative Priorities list are one step closer to passing. SB 1149 (Durazo), Bereavement Leave for Chosen or Extended family, passed the Senate Floor 39-0 with unanimous support and will now move to the Assembly. Paid pregnancy leave for school employees, which is central to CAWFC priority bill AB 65 (Aguiar-Curry), was included in Governor Newsom’s May Revise Budget proposal.
Follow the California Work & Family Coalition on our Instagram to stay up to date!
The California Work & Family Coalition Joined Tides Center
We’re thrilled to share an important new milestone for the Coalition: we’ve officially joined Tides Center as our new fiscal sponsor. Tides Center’s commitment to social justice, equity, and movement-building strongly aligns with our work and long-term vision for paid leave and family-friendly workplaces in California and beyond.
As we enter the next phase of our work, Tides Center’s robust organizational infrastructure and support systems will provide a strong foundation from which we will strengthen our growing Coalition, expand our education and advocacy efforts, and deepen our work to ensure all workers can access Paid Family Leave and adjacent policies that help families thrive.
California Work & Family Coalition Statement on the 2026 May Revise
We applaud the inclusion of progressive revenues in the May Revise. This is an important step towards ensuring no one in our state is unable to meet their basic needs. Additionally, we are happy to see funding for 14 weeks of paid pregnancy leave for school employees included, a policy that California educators and school employees have been fighting for for years
Despite these important bright spots, we are deeply disappointed to see that the May Revise slashes healthcare for immigrants, older adults and people with disabilities. California has the state resources to chart a different course from that of the federal government. We call on our state Legislature and Governor to embrace California values of inclusion and care in the final budget instead of compounding harm from federal cuts
Read our full May Revise Response on our blog!
Natasha Castro, Daniela Alvarenga, California Immigrant Policy Center, and Katie Duberg at Los Angeles press conference urging the California Governor and Legislature to protect immigrant access to health care and other safety net programs.
Governor Newsom Highlights California’s Paid Family Leave Program’s Historic Growth
On May 8th, Governor Newsom highlighted California’s historic Paid Family Leave Program ahead of Mother’s Day. This past year, PFL reached a new milestone, receiving more than 482,2000 applications, the highest on record, with 41% of applicants for mothers or birth parents bonding with their new child. This increase in claims corresponds with the implementation of SB 951 in 2025 which increased the wage replacement rate of Paid Family Leave and Disability Insurance to 90% for many workers. Paid Leave can be used to bond with a new child, care for a seriously ill loved one, or care for your own serious health condition. To learn more, visit our resource hub here.
California’s Paid Family Leave program was launched in 2004 and has paid over $19 billion to support Californians. Approximately 4.9 million Paid Family Leave claims have been processed with nearly 88% of claims used for bonding. This increase is, at least in part, due to the collective efforts of Coalition members working together to pass and implement legislation that make PFL more accessible to California families.The California Work & Family Coalition strives to continue improving California’s Paid Family Leave program so it can be accessible and available for all workers.
Building Economic Security Through Access to Paid Leave
On Tuesday, May 12th, Coalition staff members, Jasmine Amian and Katie Duberg, collaborated with the CA Partnership to End Domestic Violence (CPEDV) Economic Justice Peer Learning Cohort to lead a training on how Paid Leave supports economic security, an important factor in the prevention of domestic violence. The workshop drew 15 cohort members from across California, as well as participants from New York, Florida, and Maryland, to learn about their Paid Leave rights.
Thank you to everyone who joined and to Jessie Towne-Cardenas and CPEDV for your partnership!
