The ways in which parents currently manage their family and work responsibilities, and the means by which equitable outcomes are to be achieved and maintained, are not well understood, even basic information on the use of parental leave policies has not been available. This report aims to redress the information deficit and to provide a comprehensive analysis of the use of parental leave to inform policy development and theoretical debates.

Five main themes are covered: mothers’ employment status prior to the birth of a child; mothers’ use and experiences of maternity leave and related policies, including reasons for using/not using leave provisions; mothers’ employment status and experiences on return to work after the birth of a child; fathers’/partners’ employment status before and after the birth of a child, use of paternity leave and related policies, and reasons for using/not using leave provisions; parents’ policy needs and preferences.