Union Minister Jitendra Singh said that male government employees who were single parents are now entitled to child care leave. A ‘single male parent’ who takes up the responsibility of caring a child single-handedly could be unmarried or widower or divorcee.

Singh further said that the orders regarding this decision were issued earlier, but many were not aware of it. The move has been described as a path-breaking and progressive reform easing the lives of government servants.

According to an official statement, the Minister of State for Personnel said an employee on child care leave now will be allowed to leave the headquarters after taking prior approval. He added that in addition, the Leave Travel Concession (LTC) might also be availed by the employee even if the employee is on child care leave.

In the statement issued by the Personnel Ministry, Singh said that the child care leave could be granted at 100 per cent of leave salary for the first 365 days and the remaining 80% for the next 365 days. He also said that another welfare measure introduced in this regard was that in the case of a disabled child. The previous condition of availing child care leave for a disabled child up to the age of 22 years of the child had now been removed.

As per the updated scheme, now child care leave could be availed by a government servant for a disabled child of any age.

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