Army Paternity Leave Regulation - Capt. Harold Rivard, 2-12th Infantry, welcomes his baby daughter and wife back to Fort Carson, Colo., Nov. 17, 2018, after a nine-month deployment in support of Resolute Support with the 2nd IBCT, 4th Inf. Among the department's new guardians... (Photo credit: U.S.) Original view

Fort Meade, Md. -- It doubled the amount of parental leave available to fathers of newborns and other secondary caregivers, giving mothers more leave flexibility.

Army Paternity Leave Regulation

Army Paternity Leave Regulation

Secretary Mark T. Esper signed a directive on Jan. 23 that extends parental leave from 10 to 21 days for soldiers who are designated secondary caregivers of children. The new policy makes parental leave comparable to other services and aligns with the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act.

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Mothers will now be given six weeks of convalescent leave immediately after giving birth and can be given another six weeks of leave as the primary carer to bond with their baby anytime up to one year after birth.

"We want Soldiers and their families to take full advantage of this benefit," said retired Col. Larry Locke, chief of compensation and entitlements, G-1. She said parental leave is a preparation that ensures mothers have the time they need to take care of their families as well as recover.

The new policy predates December 23, 2016 – the date the NDAA was signed into law for the 2017 fiscal year.

In other words, soldiers who have taken only 10 days of paternity leave in the past few years can apply to take an additional 11 "authorized" days as a secondary caregiver.

Ney Army Paternity Leave Policy.

The option will restore 11 days of annual leave if time is spent with the child.

Eligible soldiers must complete Department Form 4187 and submit it to their commanding officer for consideration for previous parental leave.

Under the new policy fathers can be designated as primary carers and be given six weeks or 42 days of parental leave. However, only one parent can be designated as the primary caregiver, Locke said.

Army Paternity Leave Regulation

If the mother has to return to work and cannot take six weeks off to care for the baby, the father can be designated as the primary caregiver, she said. However, this option is not available if the mother has already taken 12 weeks of maternity leave.

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Until now, mothers could get up to 12 weeks of maternity leave, which must be taken after giving birth. Currently, only six weeks of convalescent leave is required after hospital discharge. The primary carer's second six-week leave can be taken anytime up to one year after childbirth, but must be taken in a block.

In the case of previous primary carer leave, it can be taken up to 18 months after the birth.

The new directive applies to soldiers on active duty, including active and Reserve Guard duty as AGR or full-time National Guard duty for more than 12 months.

Summarizing the new policy, Locke said, the Military Parental Leave Program, or MPLP, now offers three separate types of parental leave: healthy maternity leave, primary caregiver leave and secondary caregiver leave.

Expansion Of Military Parental Leave

Mothers who decide to become secondary caregivers are eligible for 21 days of sick leave for a total of nine weeks.

The new policy is outlined in Directive 2019-05, which applies until Regulation 600-8-10 is updated.

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