The Essential Guide to Family & Medical Leave

78 | the essential guide to family and medical leave
Chapter Highlights
Eligible female and male employees are
equally entitled to take parenting leave under
the FMLA for the birth, adoption, or foster
placement of a child.
Female or male employees who adopt or serve
as foster parents of a child may take FMLA
leave to:
• attend adoption or foster proceedings
• attend counseling sessions
• meet with attorneys
• meet with doctors
• attend court hearings, or
• attend to other placement-related matters.
You can request documents certifying an employee
is a new biological, adoptive, or foster
parent before granting parenting leave. Any
employee must conclude his or her parenting
leave within one year of the date of birth,
adoption, or foster placement of the child.
Married parents who work for the same
company are entitled to a combined 12 weeks
of leave for the birth, adoption, or foster placement
of their child; this limit doesn’t apply to
unmarried parents, who are each entitled to a
full 12 weeks of parenting leave.