IDAHO – Idaho Governor Brad Little announced Tuesday that paid parental leave is being expanded to include foster families.
The new policy will allow foster families who are also state employees to get eight weeks of paid parental leave when they welcome a new foster child into their home.
“Right now, we have more children in need of a foster family than we have families to help them,” Gov. Little said. “We are seeking to change that.”
This expanded benefit will begin October 1.
In 2020, Gov. Little introduced a similar benefit for new parents after the birth or adoption of a child.
Earlier this summer, the governor signed another executive order that reduced barriers to adoption in the foster care system and tried to increase the number of foster families in the state.
“We need to do all we can to make it easier for foster families to bring these children into their lives and homes,” Gov. Little said.
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