The 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) included an updated parental leave policy for the military. The NDAA, in part outlines the expected financial budget for the military and any policy changes for the military. The Department of Defense outlined the expansion of the Military Parental Leave Program (MPLP) in January of 2023.
Prior to this policy announcement, the parental leave policy for military members stated that birth mothers could receive six weeks of convalescent leave. The Air Force and Army allowed secondary caregivers, the non-birth parent, to receive three weeks of leave. In February of 2022, the Navy and Marine Corps expanded secondary caregiver parental leave from two weeks to three.
The expansion of this program includes active and reserve members who have given birth, adopted a child or had a child placed for adoption or long-term foster care with them. Birth parents, adoptive parents, and eligible foster parents can be granted up to 12 weeks of parental leave. This includes both parents and does not designate a primary or secondary caregiver. Any birth, fostering, or adoption that occurred after 27 December 2022 can utilize the new parental leave policy.
In addition, service members who were on maternity or caregiver leave when the policy when into effect on 27 December and had not used all of the leave may be able to utilize all twelve weeks. For example, a member on maternity leave with under six weeks used will transition to the new policy for a combined total of eighteen weeks of non-chargeable leave for parental leave.
The leave can be utilized by the birth parent and non-birth parents, as the parental leave policy applies to those with long-term foster, adoption from long-term foster, and adoption.
The question among military families as the policy was announced is how feasible this is. Military members have operational requirements. Pilots need flight hours; there are training requirements that continue across the military. Will these be maintained with three months off? The memorandum specifically addresses operations stating that “members will be afforded the opportunity to take full advantage of the MPLP consistent with their desires, operational requirements, and training workloads of their unit.” For those service members deployed, they can get an extension to take parental leave after their first year.
The statement further listed, “unit commanders must balance the needs of the unit with the needs of the member to maximize the opportunity to use parental leave.” This may mean that parental leave is not taken consecutively to balance the needs of the military with the military member; in fact, service members can take the leave in up to 12 increments.
This extended leave may help with finding childcare. The wait for childcare on base is monthslong for infant care, and while Military Child Care Aware helps with funding off-base childcare, it does not make space for infant care where there isn’t one. With primary and secondary caregivers covered under the new memorandum, dual military families may be able to care for their infant at home up to six months while waiting for childcare without using chargeable leave.
The full memorandum release from the Department of Defense can be found here.
