The New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development and the New Jersey State Office of Innovation launched a new tool to provide expecting parents guidance about coverage periods for Temporary Disability Insurance and Family Leave Insurance.

The Maternity Coverage Timeline Tool provides expecting parents with a personalized timeline estimate of benefit coverage periods. After asking parents a series of questions, the tool provides start and end dates for leave tailored to their personal situation and preferences.

“This tool is a small step in a broader effort to provide New Jerseyans support when it matters the most,” said Commissioner Robert Asaro-Angelo when the tool was announced July 7. “We want to empower parents to better plan for the arrival of the newest member of their family. Doing so requires tools and resources that combine simplicity and personalization, and the Maternity Coverage Timeline Tool is just the latest example of that principle. As we push forward to modernize resources and services, we will continue to center our efforts around the people we serve.”

“My organization meets many expectant and new mothers who are worried about how they will make ends meet as they recover from their birth and bond with their newborns. This tool is an effective way of using technology to simplify and personalize a process that can feel overwhelming, and will greatly help new moms navigate the paid leave programs that New Jersey makes available to them,” said Sarah Sternbach, director of social services for the Lakewood Resource and Referral Center. “It is wonderful to witness up close the passion this administration has for pursuing innovative ways of helping all New Jerseyans at each stage of their lives.”

The Maternity Coverage Timeline Tool is currently in open beta and may continue to undergo further testing and development. The tool estimates coverage through the state and therefore doesn’t include paid leave an individual might have through their employment.

Almost 7,000 workers have used the tool already during its initial phase-in period. The NJDOL and Office of Innovation are taking feedback on the tool through an online form.

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