8.5 Adoption Leave

A department head or designee shall grant a permanent employee’s request for an unpaid leave of absence for the adoption of a child for a period not to exceed one year. The employee may be required to provide substantiation to support the employee’s request for adoption leave.

1. During the period of time an employee is on adoption leave, the employee shall be allowed to continue the employee’s health, dental, and vision benefits. The cost of these benefits shall be paid by the employee and the rate that the employee will pay will be the group rate.
2. Existing leave credits may be used for the purpose of assuming custody of the adopted child.