• Bond with a newborn child during the first 12 months after the child’s birth. You, your spouse, your domestic partner or your civil union partner must be the biological parent of the child.
  
  
• Bond with an adopted child during the first 12 months after the child’s placement.

A bonding leave claim must be for a period of more than seven consecutive days, unless the employer permits the leave to be taken in non-consecutive periods. In this case, each non-consecutive leave period must be at least seven days.

If you are taking intermittent leave for bonding, you and your employer must agree to the intermittent schedule.

Remember: each intermittent period must be for seven (7) days or more.

You must give your employer 30 days’ notice before the leave starts. If you do not give your employer the proper notice, your benefit entitlement may be reduced by 14 days.

Bonding documentation must be provided at the time of filing. Examples of acceptable certification are:

• Child’s Birth Certificate
• Child’s Hospital Discharge Record (Birth Mother Only)
• Declaration of Paternity
• Certificate of Placement
• Independent Adoption Placement Agreement