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Adoption Leave

Adoption leave is the right to take paid time off work when a child is newly placed for adoption with the adoptive parents.

The benefits of adoption leave and pay apply to you, regardless of the number of hours you work, provided you can meet the eligibility criteria below:

  • you must be newly-matched with a child for adoption by an approved UK adoption agency
  • you must have notified the agency that they agree the child should be placed with you

and, on the date of placement

  • have worked for the Council for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks, ending with the week (beginning with the Sunday and ending with the Saturday), in which you are notified of being matched with a child; and
  • notify the Council of when you want to take their adoption leave within 7 days of the date on which you are notified of having been matched with the child

Where a couple adopt jointly and you are both are employees of the Council, only one employee (the adopter), can take the full adoption leave. Your partner may be eligible to take maternity support/paternity leave. As a couple, you can choose which partner will take which type of leave.

Adoption Leave is not available in circumstances where a child is not newly matched for adoption, for example in cases when a step-parent is adopting a partner’s children or adoption following long term foster care.

Detailed within this policy

  • eligibility
  • leave provisions
  • pay during leave
  • requesting/granting of leave
  • return to work
  • transfer of adoption leave
  • pre-adoption meetings
  • benefits
  • childcare vouchers
  • keeping in touch
  • reasonable contact

Adoption Leave policy

IMPORTANT: Overseas adoption - please note that some aspects of criteria differ for an overseas adoption and the appendix should be read in conjunction with this policy for any such adoption.

Also available

Adoption leave for teachers (guidance)

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