Adoption, fostering and surrogacy

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

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Services

1. Maternity pay and leave

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

2. Paternity pay and leave

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

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

4. Child adoption

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

5. Foster carers

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

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Guidance and regulation

1. Adoption support fund (ASF)
   • Detailed guide
   • 31 May 2019
   • Department for Education
2. Special guardianship guidance
   • Statutory guidance
   • 26 January 2017
   • Department for Education
3. Fostering services: national minimum standards
   • Guidance
   • 8 March 2011
   • Department for Education
4. Fostering services: assessment and approval of foster carers
   • Statutory guidance
   • 14 July 2013
   • Department for Education
5. Young person’s guide to the Children and Families Act 2014
   • Guidance
   • 30 September 2014
   • Department for Education

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News and communications

12 February 2020 — Press release

Strict new measures to protect vulnerable children in care

Department for Education

1. Councils urged to prioritise adoption
   • 16 January 2020
   • Department for Education
   • Press release
2. More funding to boost adoption support
   • 22 December 2019
   • Department for Education
   • Press release
3. New support for foster families to overcome trauma
   • 3 October 2019
   • Department for Education
   • News story
4. Staying Put grant: determination letter
   • 22 March 2019
   • Department for Education
   • Correspondence

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Research and statistics

1. Fostering in England 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019
   • 14 February 2020
   • Ofsted
   • National statistics
2. Children looked after in England including adoption: 2018 to 2019
   • 15 January 2020
   • Department for Education
   • National statistics
3. Children Adopted from Care in Northern Ireland 2018/19
   • 3 October 2019
   • Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and Department of Health (Northern Ireland)
   • National statistics
4. Evaluation of regional adoption agencies
   • 20 July 2019
   • Department for Education
   • Research
5. Adoption support fund: long-term follow-up
   • 20 July 2019
   • Department for Education
   • Research

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Policy papers and consultations

1. Private fostering arrangement notifications: planned revisions
   • 16 December 2015
   • Department for Education
   • Consultation outcome
   • Date closed 15 September 2015
2. Fostering better outcomes
   • 20 July 2018
   • Department for Education
   • Policy paper
3. Adoption: a vision for change
   • 19 December 2016
   • Department for Education
   • Policy paper
4. Regional adoption agencies programme
   • 19 June 2015
   • Department for Education
   • Policy paper
5. 2010 to 2015 government policy: looked-after children and adoption
   • 8 May 2015
   • Department for Education
   • Policy paper

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Transparency and freedom of information releases

1. Adoption scorecards
   • 25 March 2019
   • Department for Education
   • Transparency
2. Intercountry adoption: list of restricted countries
   • 21 May 2018
   • Department for Education
   • Transparency
3. Adoption Leadership Board quarterly data reports: 2016 to 2017
   • 8 May 2018
   • Department for Education
   • Transparency
4. Adoption Leadership Board quarterly data reports: 2015 to 2016
   • 20 January 2017
   • Department for Education
   • Transparency
5. Adoption Leadership Board quarterly data reports: 2014 to 2015
   • 27 March 2016
   • Department for Education
   • Transparency

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Organisations

1. Department for Education
2. HM Courts & Tribunals Service
3. Department for Work & Pensions
4. HM Revenue & Customs
5. Independent Review Mechanism

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1. Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
2. Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government
3. Home Office

1. Ofsted

Explore sub-topics

1. Adoption
2. Fostering
3. Intercountry adoption
4. Special guardianship
5. Surrogacy