The National Assembly has advanced the implementation of the new birth leave to January 2026, despite technical constraints originally set for July 2027. This additional two-month, fractionable leave supplements existing maternity and paternity leaves and provides higher compensation. The Ministry of Health confirms that all parents of a baby born from January 1, 2026, will benefit, though the technical rollout will be degraded during the year.
The 2026 Social Security budget, definitively voted on December 16, 2025, introduces a 'supplementary birth leave' of up to two months, fractionable, for each parent. Originally scheduled for July 2027 due to technical constraints, the government had set it for January 2027 in the Senate, but the National Assembly mandated implementation from January 1, 2026. It covers parents of children born or adopted from that date, as well as those born in 2025 with a due date in 2026.
This leave adds to the existing 16 weeks of maternity leave and 28 days of paternity leave, with higher compensation than the maintained parental leave. Under the planned terms, compensation would be 70% of previous net salary for the first month and 60% for the second. Application decrees, to be published after the law's promulgation, will detail practical aspects, such as notice to the employer (between 15 days and one month) and the period to take the leave after birth.
Health Minister Stéphanie Rist acknowledged the technical challenges in an interview on Franceinfo on December 18, 2025: 'Obviously, we will respect the law, even though I had mentioned there were technical issues to achieve it. So we will do it, we will manage, but in a degraded way.' The Ministry of Health announced to AFP that the technical implementation will occur 'during the course of the year,' ensuring access to the scheme from 2026 births.
