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The purpose of this research was to build on the post-FMLA literature on leave participation in working mothers and its effects on children's and mothers' well-being. Propensity score estimates were used to select two comparable subgroups from a nationally representative data set. Leave status would be predicted by various factors: individual and household characteristics, employer-level, family finances, child-level, and child care use. Demographically-comparable subsamples of leave-takers and nonparticipants would be selected with which to compare on outcomes. Differences were expected between leave-takers and nonparticipants on attachment at 2 years of age, social-emotional functioning at 9 months and 2 years, and maternal depressive symptomatology at 9 months. Focusing within leave-takers, longer leaves were expected to predict better attachment relationships at 2 years, better social-emotional functioning at 9 months and 2 years, and lower levels of maternal depression at 9 months. Data were drawn from the ECLS-B at 9 months and 2 years and the final sample included 6,645 children. The primary modes of data collection were home interviews and direct child assessments, including the TAS-45 at 2 years, the NCATS at 9 months, the Two Bags Task at 2 years, and the CES-D at 9 months. Results indicated that the full model of 9 month characteristics adequately discriminated among subgroups. Children of leave-takers scored higher for the cooperative profile and lower on the upset by separation and demanding/angry profiles than children of nonparticipants at 2 years. Leave status was predictive of these profiles. For social-emotional functioning, differences were found between groups at 2 years, but not at 9 months, and leave status was predictive of these scores at 2 years. The strongest impact of leave was found for maternal depression, with leave-takers reporting lower scores than nonparticipants. Results indicated that variability within leave-takers was not consist