When can dads apply for EDD PFL baby bonding? Before or after birth?

Congrats on the upcoming baby! For dads, you can't apply for PFL baby bonding *before* the birth. You need to wait until after your child is born because you'll need to provide the baby's birth certificate or other proof of birth with your application. After the birth, you have 12 months to claim your PFL benefits. So if your baby is born in April 2025, you'd have until April 2026 to apply. You'll use the DE2508 form for PFL. You can set up your SDI Online account now though, so it's ready to go when you need to apply after the birth. Also, you don't have to take all 8 weeks at once - you can split it up within that 12-month period if that works better for your family.

Just a heads up, the application isn't that difficult but it can take time for EDD to process your claim. When I applied for baby bonding last year after my daughter was born, it took them almost 3 weeks to approve it and start sending payments. So even though you can't apply before the birth, I'd recommend applying right away once your baby arrives. You'll need these documents ready: - Your ID - The birth certificate (hospital will give you a copy) - Your most recent pay stubs - Your employer info And like the previous commenter said, you have 12 months from birth to use all 8 weeks of your benefits.

Our baby was born Jan 2025 and i just wnt thru this. DONT WAIT too long after birth to apply! Technically u have 12 months but the EDD is so slow these days. Took me like 4 calls to even talk to somone about my claim and then they needed extra paper work and by then I was back at work missing out on money. I would get everything redy to go before the baby comes, get ur SDI acct setup with password etc. then file as soon as u have the birth info.

The whole EDD system is such a joke. When I tried to get my baby bonding leave last year they kept saying my documents weren't uploaded properly even though they WERE! I could SEE THEM right there in my account but the "system" couldn't. Then they told me to fax things (WHO USES FAX IN 2025?!?) and I ended up missing out on 2 weeks of benefits because of their incompetence. The 12 month deadline is technically true but don't count on EDD to be efficient AT ALL. Apply the MINUTE you have the birth certificate.

After my son was born in december i had the same questions! I think most ppl are right that you gotta wait til after birth BUT one thing no one mentioned - if your wife is getting pregnancy disability or PFL herself you guys cant overlap the same weeks for full benefits (at least that's what they told us). so you might wanna plan who takes which weeks for maximum coverage. we kinda messed that up and didn't get as many total weeks as we could have between us.

When I was trying to reach EDD about my baby bonding claim, I kept getting disconnected or waiting for hours. Total nightmare. Then I found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD agent in under 20 minutes. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 It saved me so much frustration, especially since I was holding a newborn while trying to deal with all this paperwork. Might be worth keeping in your back pocket if you run into issues after you apply.

To answer your follow-up question about what to discuss with your employer: 1. Confirm if your company has any specific PFL policies or supplemental pay that might affect your EDD benefits 2. Make sure they know you're planning to take leave (even though you don't know exact dates yet) 3. Check if they require you to use any vacation/PTO concurrently with PFL 4. Ask if they'll continue your health benefits during leave (most do but good to confirm) 5. Get clarity on their return-to-work policy Also, be aware that PFL doesn't include job protection on its own. That comes from CFRA (California Family Rights Act) or FMLA (federal). If your company has 5+ employees, you should be covered by CFRA for 12 weeks of job-protected leave.

congrats on baby!!! my hubby just did this in feb! get ur SDI online acct now so u dont have 2 deal with that part later. btw the 8 weeks goes by SO FAST enjoy every second!!

One more thing I forgot to mention - once you do apply after the birth, you'll have a 7-day unpaid waiting period before benefits start. Make sure you factor that into your financial planning. Also, PFL only pays about 60-70% of your salary (depending on your income level), up to a maximum weekly benefit amount. Just so you're prepared financially.

Hey Miguel! Congrats on your upcoming arrival! I went through this exact same process last year when our daughter was born. Everyone's advice here is spot-on - you definitely can't apply before birth, but here's what I wish someone had told me: 1. Set up your SDI Online account NOW (like others mentioned) - do it while you're not sleep deprived! 2. Have a "birth certificate request" plan ready - some hospitals are faster than others at processing these 3. Take screenshots of EVERYTHING when you do apply - seriously, their system glitches and it helps to have proof of what you submitted 4. Consider doing a "practice run" of the application process using the online forms (you can start but not submit) so you know exactly what info you'll need Also, pro tip: if your company has decent paternal leave policies, check if they stack with PFL or if you need to coordinate timing. Some companies will supplement the difference between PFL payments and your full salary, which is awesome if available. The 12-month window gives you flexibility, but apply ASAP after birth for sure. Good luck with everything!

Miguel, congratulations on your upcoming addition! I just went through this process when my son was born in February. Here's what I learned that might help: You absolutely cannot apply before birth - the system requires proof of the child's birth as part of the application. BUT here's what you CAN do now to make the process smoother later: 1. Set up your EDD SDI Online account today - seriously, do it now while you have mental bandwidth 2. Gather all your employment/wage info and save it somewhere easily accessible 3. Talk to your hospital about their birth certificate turnaround time - mine took 5 business days which felt like forever when you're eager to get benefits rolling When baby arrives, apply within the first week if possible. The 12-month deadline is real, but EDD processing times are unpredictable right now. Mine took 2.5 weeks to approve, which wasn't too bad compared to some horror stories I've heard. One thing I wish I'd known: you can actually start your leave before your claim is approved. You just won't get paid until it processes. So if you need to be home with baby immediately, don't feel like you have to wait for EDD's wheels to turn. Also bookmark the EDD customer service phone number now, just in case. The earlier in the day you call, the better your chances of getting through. Good luck!

Hey Miguel! Congrats on the upcoming baby! Just wanted to add one more thing that helped me when I went through this process - make sure you understand the difference between "intermittent" and "continuous" leave when you apply. You can take your 8 weeks of baby bonding leave all at once (continuous) OR you can break it up into smaller chunks (intermittent) over that 12-month period. For example, you could take 4 weeks right after birth, then save the other 4 weeks for later - maybe when your wife goes back to work, or around holidays, etc. The intermittent option is really flexible but you have to specify this when you apply. If you apply for continuous leave initially, it's harder to change it later. Just something to think about now while you're planning! Also echoing what others said about screenshots - I literally took photos with my phone of every screen during the application process. EDD's system crashed on me twice and having that documentation saved me hours of re-entering information. You've got this! The prep work you're doing now will definitely pay off later.