Paid Family Leave Helps Reduce Infant Abuse, School of Public Policy Study Finds

Infant maltreatment drops significantly when parents gain access to paid family leave, according to a new study led by School of Public Policy researcher Lindsey Rose Bullinger.

The study indicates such policies are not only good for children but also could reduce the burden on child protection agencies — and maybe even ease the associated budgetary strain on governments.

“There are potentially vast implications for government budgets and other macroeconomic factors,” the authors wrote in their paper. “In addition to demonstrating possible cross-program interactions between family services and employment services, this work may in turn offer a more complete cost-benefit analysis of PFL programs.”

Read the full story at https://iac.gatech.edu/featured-news/2025/03/paid-family-leave-reduces-abuse-georgia-tech-study.