Paternity Leave in Rhode Island: Now 8 Paid Weeks

Rhode Island was one of the first states to pay dads for bonding leave, back in 2014. The program has a forgettable name, Temporary Caregiver Insurance, or TCI, and since 2026 it pays for 8 weeks.

Do you qualify for paternity leave in Rhode Island?

Probably, if you work in Rhode Island and pay into the state’s disability fund (it comes off your paycheck). For claims filed in 2026, you need $19,200 in wages in your base period, roughly the year before your claim. Earn less? There’s an alternative test that starts at $3,200 in one quarter.

Bonding leave covers the baby’s first 12 months. You have to be off work for at least 7 days in a row.

Is your job protected during paternity leave in Rhode Island?

Yes. When TCI leave ends, you’re entitled to your old job or an equivalent one with the same seniority and benefits.

Not sure how to bring it up at work? Our guide on how to ask for paternity leave has a script.

How much is paid family leave in Rhode Island, and for how long?

TCI pays 4.62 percent of the wages from your best quarter, which works out to roughly 60 percent of your weekly pay. The maximum is $1,150 a week for claims starting from July 1, 2026. Kids under 18 at home add a small extra: $20 or 7 percent of your benefit per child, whichever is more, for up to five.

You get up to 8 weeks in a benefit year, since January 2026. TCI is taxable, so expect a 1099-G at tax time. Better to know now than in April.

How to file a paid family leave claim in Rhode Island

You apply to the Department of Labor and Training (DLT), online or on paper.

1. Tell your employer in writing at least 30 days before your leave.
2. Wait until your leave has started. You can’t file a TCI claim before you’re off work.
3. Apply within 30 days of your first day of leave. Online is faster than paper.
4. Prove you’re the parent, for example with the birth certificate.

What does your employer have to do?

• Give you your job back, or an equivalent one with the same seniority and benefits.
• Keep your health insurance going during your leave, as long as you keep paying your share. Adding the baby to the plan is a separate step with its own short deadline.
• Not punish you for taking TCI leave.

Rhode Island paid family leave deadlines

• 30 days before your leave: tell your employer in writing.
• First day of leave: the earliest you can apply.
• Within 30 days of the birth: add the baby to your health plan. Federal rules give you at least 30 days.
• Within 30 days after your first day of leave: last day to apply.
• Baby’s first birthday: all bonding leave has to be used by then.

Before you lock in dates, take our free paternity leave HR questions to HR and write the answers down. Rather ask by email? Our free HR email template is ready to copy: fill in the blanks and hit send.

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General information, not legal or financial advice. Figures are for 2026 claims and change every year. Check with HR and dlt.ri.gov before you plan dates.

Sources: RI DLT: TDI and TCI FAQs, RI General Laws 28-41-35, US Department of Labor.