Any service member welcoming a new child can take up to 12 weeks of parental leave in the year following, according to a congressionally mandated policy signed Thursday.For non-birthing parents whose children were born between Dec. 27, 2021 and Dec. 27, 2022, and who requested their full 21 days of leave but haven’t taken it, their parental leave allotment bumps up to 12 weeks.So for secondary caregivers who held off on taking leave in anticipation of the new policy, or who took part of their 21 days, they can now take up to 12 weeks, with a deadline of the child’s first birthday.“Unit commanders must balance the needs of the unit with the needs of the member to maximize opportunity to use parental leave.”The new policy falls short of some lawmakers’ expectations, according to a letter from a senator and two congresswomen in November 2022.If a deployment, exercise or school falls within the one year after welcoming a child, a service member can defer taking the entirety of their parental leave until they finish that obligation."