Deciding to adopt a child can be a scary but wonderful time in a family’s life. The United States Air Force just made making such a decision a little bit easier for Air Force personnel living in Georgia. Until recently, the Air Force allowed a woman who gave birth to take up to 12 weeks of maternity leave. Spouses were allowed to take up to 10 days leave. Parents in an adoption were not granted the same leave.
Under the new policy, parents who give birth or adopt a child can take leave. The leave time for a primary caregiver in an adoption is six weeks. In addition, a secondary caregiver in an adoption can take three weeks of leave. The time may be coordinated between the primary and secondary caregiver, though the secondary caregiver can’t give his or her time to the primary caregiver and vice versa.
With the addition of this new benefit, the U.S. Air Force now has the most generous parental leave in place of all of the military branches. The Air Force has a significant presence in Georgia. This new arrangement should make it easier for those considering adoption to move forward with those plans.
Air Force personnel in Georgia who are considering adoption could benefit from this new policy. While this policy answers many questions, there are still other issues to address when considering adoption. A person who is thinking about adopting a child may benefit from consulting with an experienced family law attorney. A lawyer who is knowledgeable about adoption can answer questions he or she may have and advise him or her on the best avenue to pursue.