The Military Parental Leave Program (MPLP) provides non-chargeable leave entitlements following the birth or adoption of a child. The policy applies to covered soldiers who are birth Mothers or Fathers, same-sex couples, as well as adoptive and surrogate parents.

On January 4, 2023, the Department of Defense released DTM 23-001 (Expansion of the Military Parental Leave Program).

The expansion provides parental leave to active and reserve component service members (on active duty for 12 months or more) who have given birth, adopted a child or had a child placed for adoption or long-term foster care with them. Birth parents will be granted 12 weeks of parental leave following a period of convalescent leave and non-birth parents will be granted 12 weeks of leave following the birth of their child. Adoptive parents and eligible foster parents will also be granted 12 weeks of parental leave. The MPLP is designed to allow members to care for their children while balancing the needs of their unit.

The leave can be taken by both birth and non-birth parents and must be administered in accordance with the policies and procedures outlined in the DTM. The expansion of the MPLP, which applies to all eligible service members as of January 4, 2023, takes precedence over previous DoD issuances and service regulations.

Army National Guard service members on drill status are eligible for Inactive Duty Parental Leave (IDPL)

Inactive Duty Parental Leave (IDPL)

The IDPL described in DoD Instruction 1327.06 applies to a member of the Ready Reserve when any one of these events occurs on or after October 1, 2024: the birth of a service member’s child, adoption of a minor child by the service member, or placement of a minor child with the service member for adoption or long-term foster care.

IDPL will be taken in increments equivalent to a four-hour inactive duty training period of which a maximum of two such increments may be taken per day. Each such four-hour increment constitutes an IDPL period.

Parental Leave for Birth: Reserve component service members, including dual military couples, will each be authorized IDPL for their child’s birth and to care for the child.

• For the birth parent, 12 IDPL periods will be authorized during the one-year period beginning after the date of the child’s birth. IDPL will be taken following reserve component maternity leave for post-partum recovery of the birth parent, pursuant to Paragraph 3.11.b. The use of reserve component maternity leave is separate and distinct from IDPL. The 12 IDPL periods are in addition to reserve component maternity leave.
• For the non-birth parent, 12 IDPL periods will be authorized during the one-year period beginning after the date of the child’s birth. If the child is born outside of marriage, the non-birth parent’s parentage of the child must be established in accordance with the criteria prescribed by the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) within 90 days (stateside) or 120 days (overseas) of the birth or will forfeit eligibility. A birthparent is not required to establish proof of parentage.

Parental Leave for Adoption Placement or Adoption: Reserve component service members, to include dual military couples, will be authorized 12 IDPL periods to care for a minor child during the one-year period beginning after the date of their placement with the service member for adoption or the date of the minor child’s adoption by the service member.

• If a service member (or a dual military couple) uses a surrogate and they become the legal parent(s) of a newborn child, the event will be treated as an adoption and will be authorized 12 weeks of parental leave.
• A service member is not authorized an additional 12 weeks of parental leave when the placement of a minor child with the member for adoption is finalized as an adoption by the service member of a minor child already residing within the service member’s household.

Parental Leave for Long-term Foster Care Placement: Reserve component service members, to include dual military couples, will be authorized 12 IDPL periods to care for a minor child during the one-year period beginning after the date of their placement with the service member for long-term foster care. A service member is not authorized an additional 12 IDPL periods when the placement of a minor child with the Service member for long-term foster care is:

• Converted to a placement for adoption with the service member; or
• Finalized as an adoption by the service member of a minor child already residing within the service member’s household.

Treatment of IDPL

An IDPL period taken by a reserve component service member will count toward the minimum requirements for achieving a satisfactory year of participation in the Ready Reserve by the Service member in accordance with DoDI 1215.13 (i.e., it will not be treated as an excused or unexcused absence). (b)

The associated retirement point credit for each IDPL period taken by a reserve component service member will count toward the minimum 50 retirement points necessary to achieve a qualifying year of creditable service for non-regular retirement in accordance with DoDI 1215.07.

Department of Defense Instruction 1327.06:
https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/132706p.pdf

Army Directive 2025-02 (Parenthood, Pregnancy, and Postpartum):
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN43152-ARMY_DIR_2025-02-000-WEB-1.pdf

Army Regulation 600-8-10 (Leaves and Passes):
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN30018-AR_600-8-10-000-WEB-1.pdf

The Army Military Parental Leave Program (MPLP) Frequently Asked Questions:
https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Parental%20Leave%20FAQs

SecArmy Memo, Clarifying Guidance on Maternity Convalescent Leave Following Childbirth and Military Parental Leave (2 June 2023):
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/NOCASE-POG_215371-000-WEB-1.pdf