1. A. Childcare or bonding is a qualifying event in the following circumstances:

   1. (1) To care for or bond with a child of the claimant during the first 12 months after the child’s birth; or
   2. (2) During the process through which a child is being placed with the claimant through foster care, kinship care, or adoption and to care for or bond with the child during the first 12 months after the placement.
2. B. Caring for a family member with a serious health condition is a qualifying event.
3. C. The diagnosis, occurrence, or tending to of one’s own serious health condition is a qualifying event.

4. D. Caring for a service member with a serious health condition is a qualifying event if:

   1. (1) The claimant is the service member’s next of kin; and
   2. (2) The serious health condition resulted from, or was exacerbated by, uniformed service.
5. E. A qualifying exigency arising out of the deployment of a service member who is a family member of the claimant is a qualifying event.

Authority: Labor and Employment Article, §§8.3-101, 403, 701, 702, and 902, et seq., Annotated Code of Maryland

Effective date: March 30, 2026 (53:6 Md. R. 290)