After viral New York pilot, Paidleave.ai expands nationally to increase paid family leave adoption
First of its kind generative AI tool helps working families access unclaimed state paid family leave benefits
Moms First CEO & Founder Reshma Saujani to announce national expansion at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting as bipartisan issue gains prominence in presidential election campaigns
NEW YORK – September 24, 2024 – Today, Moms First, the national non-profit organization dedicated to transforming our workplaces, our communities, and our culture to enable moms in America, is announcing the national expansion of its signature initiative, Paidleave.ai, at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting in New York. Moms First CEO & Founder Reshma Saujani is joining the global convening to announce the expansion and the launch of a national campaign to promote the tool and increase adoption rates of state paid family leave programs.
“Our Paidleave.ai pilot in New York proved that generative AI can make government more accessible and also boost benefit access for working families,” said Moms First Founder and CEO Reshma Saujani. “Now, we’re expanding Paidleave.ai nationally to not only to increase paid family leave adoption in states that have it but also to build a political constituency for paid leave and ensure durability of the policy nationwide.”
Paid leave has been a top bipartisan economic issue for voters and working families ahead of the presidential election. Decades of research shows that paid family leave programs can be a powerful driver of economic growth and improved maternal and child health outcomes. In the last decade, as national paid family leave has stalled, states have taken up the gauntlet. Nine states and Washington, DC have paid family leave programs, with four more states beginning to pay benefits in the next few years. While these programs are broadly popular, they’re severely underutilized with fewer than five percent of eligible workers claiming their paid family leave benefits due to low awareness and complicated application processes.
“As a woman of color, I know first hand how paid family leave is intrinsically connected to racial and economic equity,” said Saujani. “Even in states with paid leave policies, confusing applications combined with a lack of knowledge about paid leave benefits only exacerbate existing inequities that disproportionately impact moms of color. Our hope is that Paidleave.ai helps reduce common barriers to access for working families.”
Moms First launched Paidleave.ai in December 2023 with support from OpenAI, Novy AI, and Craig Newmark Philanthropies to help parents in New York state access and apply for paid family leave benefits. The first-of-its kind generative AI chatbot helps parents and companies in New York understand and navigate the state’s paid leave program, addressing the root causes of low utilization and helping families claim their benefits. The New York pilot was widely successful, generating 100 Million press impressions, 25,000 visits in the first month, and a 25 percent increase in Google searches for “paid leave” in the United States, all critical leading indicators that point to an increase in access and adoption rates.
Following the success of its pilot, Moms First is expanding Paidleave.ai nationally to include all nine states plus Washington DC with live paid family leave programs: California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. The national version of the free customized AI chatbot will help parents and companies in those states understand benefits, access their eligibility, and navigate the application process. Paidleave.ai is built using OpenAI’s API and is trained on verified resources about paid family leave programs so that it can offer comprehensive guidance while limiting hallucinations and false information. To increase accessibility, the tool is now available in 26 languages.
In addition to its product expansion, Moms First is also launching a national campaign called “Paid Leave Pays” designed to reach eligible low and moderate income moms in states with live paid family leave programs. The campaign, which will run on digital platforms through the end of the year and target low-to-moderate income moms, will meet eligible moms where they are and help increase awareness of paid family leave programs, direct moms to Paidleave.ai to understand their eligibility, and guide them through the application process if they’re eligible.
Paidleave.ai was developed with early technical assistance and partnership from OpenAI and Novy AI and with major support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, Capital One, and Robin Hood Foundation.
“Paidleave.ai is a great model for AI for customer service, not only for public service, but everywhere regular people need a hand,” said Craig Newmark, founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies. “Moms First is a serious leader in AI for good, and I’m really happy to support their efforts.”
“Moms First is using groundbreaking tools to put money back in the pockets of hardworking low- and moderate-income individuals in a way that helps to relieve stress,” said Kerone Vatel, Head of Community Impact & Investment at Capital One. “Our support for Paidleave.ai is helping make paid leave more accessible and redefining how AI can be used to propel the delivery of economic benefits to working parents.”
“Paid leave is one of our best-studied public policy tools to fight poverty and improve maternal and health outcomes. Yet so few mothers and caretaking workers are benefitting from this policy in states like New York, where utilization remains shockingly low,” said Jason Cone, Chief of Public Policy and Advocacy at Robin Hood. “We’re thrilled to support Paidleave.ai in its work to increase uptake of paid family leave benefits in New York and nationally and learn how we can apply innovative technology like AI to increase benefit access for working families.”
About Moms First
Moms First is a national nonprofit leading the fight for America’s moms. We are driven by our belief that motherhood is the unfinished business of gender equality. Our community of 1.1 million moms is fighting for a world where moms are valued and supported in our workplaces, communities, and culture. Learn more at momsfirst.us.
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