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  2. Parenting, childcare and children's services

Adoption, fostering and surrogacy

Becoming a foster carer, adopting a child from the UK or abroad, looking after someone else's child.

Services

  1. Apply to adopt a child through your council

    Apply to adopt a child through your local council if you are 21 or over and can offer a stable home to a child

  2. Apply to foster a child through your council

    Apply to foster a child through the social services department of your local council

  3. TSD standards workbook for foster carers

    Form for foster carers to prove they meet the required training, support and development (TSD) standards.

  1. Plan your adoption leave

    Work out your Statutory Adoption Leave dates - Ordinary and Additional Adoption Leave period, notice period and earliest start date

  2. TSD standards workbook for family and friends foster carers

    Form for family and friends foster carers to fill in to prove that they meet the training, support and development standards.

See all services

Guidance and regulation

  1. Maternity pay and leave

    Your Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) and Leave - what you get, how to claim, maternity rights and extra help

    Guide

  2. Paternity pay and leave

    Your Statutory Paternity Pay and Leave - what you get, how to claim, eligibility

    Guide

  3. Shared Parental Leave and Pay

    You can start Shared Parental Leave (SPL) and Statutory Shared Parental Pay (ShPP) if you're eligible and you or your partner ends your maternity or adoption leave early - eligibility, entitlement, starting SPL and splitting blocks of leave

    Guide

  1. Child adoption

    The adoption process - eligibility, assessment, adoption agencies, overseas adoptions and the rights of birth parents

    • Guide

  2. Foster carers

    Foster carers look after children when their parents aren't able to - becoming a foster carer, money and support available, fostering agencies

    • Guide
See all guidance and regulation

News and communications

Nadhim Zahawi
Minister visits projects supporting children's services in Leeds

Department for Education

News story

  1. Funding boost to improve speed and quality of adoption services

    • Department for Education
    • News story

  2. Staying Put grant: determination letter

    • Department for Education
    • Correspondence

  3. Multi-million fund reaches record number of adoptive families

    • Department for Education
    • Press release

  4. Education Secretary unveils a new blueprint for adoption

    • Department for Education
    • Press release
See all news and communications

Policy and engagement

  1. Private fostering arrangement notifications: planned revisions

    Department for Education

    Consultation outcome

    Date closed 15 September 2015

  1. Regional adoption agency (RAA) scorecards

    • Department for Education
    • Policy paper

  2. Adoption: a vision for change

    • Department for Education
    • Policy paper

  3. Regional adoption agencies programme

    • Department for Education
    • Policy paper

  4. 2010 to 2015 government policy: looked-after children and adoption

    • Department for Education
    • Policy paper
See all policy and engagement

Transparency

  1. Intercountry adoption: list of restricted countries

    • Department for Education
    • Transparency

  2. Adoption scorecards

    • Department for Education
    • Transparency

  3. Adoption Leadership Board quarterly data reports: 2016 to 2017

    • Department for Education
    • Transparency

  4. Social care questionnaires 2017: what children and young people told Ofsted

    • Ofsted
    • Research

  5. Fostering in England 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017

    • Ofsted
    • National statistics
See all transparency

Organisations

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