Labor Dept Says IEP Meetings Qualify for Family and Medical Leave
December 19, 2019
By: Jessica Watson
Source: ParentsTogether
Parents with children in the special education system often struggle to balance work with the many appointments and school meetings kids with disabilities can require. Things just got a bit easier, thanks to a new Labor Department opinion that IEP meetings qualify for leave coverage under the Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).
IEP meetings, or Individualized Education Plan meetings, are normally held once a year to determine the course of special education services a student will receive through the school system. Those services often include therapy prescribed by a doctor like speech, occupational or physical therapy. Since family doctor visits fall under FMLA, it’s logical that IEP meetings should as well. But employers haven’t always interpreted the law that way.