Of the 41 nations in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the European Union, the United States is the only country that does not mandate any paid leave for new parents. Every other nation requires at least two months of paid leave. Five states--California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Washington--and the District of Columbia all have state-mandated paid leave plans in place. Starting in 2021, Massachusetts will join these ranks. And as of last December, the US offers the Federal Employee Paid Leave Act, which grants federal employees up to 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth, adoption, or addition of a new foster child. But paid leave policies in the US are far from the norm. Across the counseling and admission profession, parental leave policies vary wildly.