This policy brief from the IFS and EPPC seeks to identify parameters for a politically achievable paid leave proposal, using polling and interviews to illustrate what an approach to paid leave that puts parents first might look like. In particular, this report suggests the following elements might have appeal across the political spectrum: 

• Streamlining administrative burdens, making any paid leave intuitive and easy to understand from the worker’s perspective
• Expanding coverage, potentially making a parental benefit universal
• Focusing solely on paid parental leave, leaving political battles over broader definitions of paid leave for another day, and
• Providing the biggest benefits to new moms, acknowledging the wide-spread recognition that they bear the biggest physical, mental, and emotional burden in recovering after a new birth.