The Department of Homeland Security will extend maternity leave for members of the Coast Guard, following a new Defense Department standard, The Daily Beast has learned.

The policy will reportedly take effect immediately. Last week, the Pentagon began offering 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, doubling the time for the Army and Air Force and cutting the amount for the Navy and Marine Corps by six weeks.

“We ask great sacrifices of those who serve in the U.S. Coast Guard, performing vital homeland-security missions every day. Our servicemembers’ success cannot depend on a choice between their children and their mission. Ensuring new mothers have the flexibility they need to care for their families reflects our deep commitment to our workforce and strengthens this department as a whole,” Jeh Johnson, secretary of Homeland Security said in a prepared statement.

Up until today's announcement, members of the Coast Guard received six weeks of maternity leave.

—Nancy Youssef