The Adoption and Special Guardianship Leadership Board collects and publishes information on adopter registrations and adopter approvals. Personal information on prospective adopters is, however, not collected. As a result, the department cannot estimate how many are employed or self-employed.

The Government has focused on supporting employed parents to take time off work to care for and bond with their adopted child because they have less flexibility with their work than self-employed parents. However local authorities can provide a discretionary payment equivalent to Maternity Allowance to self-employed adopters. This payment is discretionary and means-tested to ensure that resources are targeted at those adopters who need it most, as part of a package of post-adoption support.

The Government has focused on supporting employed parents to take time off work to care for and bond with their adopted child because they have less flexibility with their work than self-employed parents. However local authorities can provide a discretionary payment equivalent to Maternity Allowance to self-employed adopters. This payment is discretionary and means-tested to ensure that resources are targeted at those adopters who need it most, as part of a package of post-adoption support.

The Government has no plans to introduce an Adoption Allowance for self-employed people.

Local Authorities can make discretionary payments to self-employed adopters who do not qualify for Statutory Adoption Pay.

The government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. To date, the government has focused on supporting employed parents, as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do.

Self-employed adoptive parents may be supported in a range of ways by local authorities, and it is not possible to make a ready comparison between these arrangements and statutory adoption pay provisions. Maternity payments, such as the maternity allowance, are not intended to assist with the costs associated with a new child.

The department’s statutory guidance covering financial support applies to all local authorities in England, and this does not vary by geographical region. We continually keep under review the need to revise guidance, including the statutory guidance on adoption. No specific information has been collected about the extent to which local authorities provide support as specified in paragraph 9.38 of the guidance. However, we have regular conversations with both local authority leaders and with leaders of regional adoption agencies about a wide range of adoption-related issues.

The department supports a range of activities to encourage the recruitment of prospective adopters, including £2 million to date towards a national recruitment campaign. The campaign messages continue to make abundantly clear that adopters are welcome from all walks of life and backgrounds. There are now significantly more prospective adopters than children waiting to be adopted. No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits and effectiveness of the statutory guidance and other support arrangements.

The government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. To date, the government has focused on supporting employed parents, as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do.

Self-employed adoptive parents may be supported in a range of ways by local authorities, and it is not possible to make a ready comparison between these arrangements and statutory adoption pay provisions. Maternity payments, such as the maternity allowance, are not intended to assist with the costs associated with a new child.

The department’s statutory guidance covering financial support applies to all local authorities in England, and this does not vary by geographical region. We continually keep under review the need to revise guidance, including the statutory guidance on adoption. No specific information has been collected about the extent to which local authorities provide support as specified in paragraph 9.38 of the guidance. However, we have regular conversations with both local authority leaders and with leaders of regional adoption agencies about a wide range of adoption-related issues.

The department supports a range of activities to encourage the recruitment of prospective adopters, including £2 million to date towards a national recruitment campaign. The campaign messages continue to make abundantly clear that adopters are welcome from all walks of life and backgrounds. There are now significantly more prospective adopters than children waiting to be adopted. No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits and effectiveness of the statutory guidance and other support arrangements.

The government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. To date, the government has focused on supporting employed parents, as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do.

Self-employed adoptive parents may be supported in a range of ways by local authorities, and it is not possible to make a ready comparison between these arrangements and statutory adoption pay provisions. Maternity payments, such as the maternity allowance, are not intended to assist with the costs associated with a new child.

The department’s statutory guidance covering financial support applies to all local authorities in England, and this does not vary by geographical region. We continually keep under review the need to revise guidance, including the statutory guidance on adoption. No specific information has been collected about the extent to which local authorities provide support as specified in paragraph 9.38 of the guidance. However, we have regular conversations with both local authority leaders and with leaders of regional adoption agencies about a wide range of adoption-related issues.

The department supports a range of activities to encourage the recruitment of prospective adopters, including £2 million to date towards a national recruitment campaign. The campaign messages continue to make abundantly clear that adopters are welcome from all walks of life and backgrounds. There are now significantly more prospective adopters than children waiting to be adopted. No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits and effectiveness of the statutory guidance and other support arrangements.

The government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. To date, the government has focused on supporting employed parents, as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do.

Self-employed adoptive parents may be supported in a range of ways by local authorities, and it is not possible to make a ready comparison between these arrangements and statutory adoption pay provisions. Maternity payments, such as the maternity allowance, are not intended to assist with the costs associated with a new child.

The department’s statutory guidance covering financial support applies to all local authorities in England, and this does not vary by geographical region. We continually keep under review the need to revise guidance, including the statutory guidance on adoption. No specific information has been collected about the extent to which local authorities provide support as specified in paragraph 9.38 of the guidance. However, we have regular conversations with both local authority leaders and with leaders of regional adoption agencies about a wide range of adoption-related issues.

The department supports a range of activities to encourage the recruitment of prospective adopters, including £2 million to date towards a national recruitment campaign. The campaign messages continue to make abundantly clear that adopters are welcome from all walks of life and backgrounds. There are now significantly more prospective adopters than children waiting to be adopted. No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits and effectiveness of the statutory guidance and other support arrangements.

The government recognises that it is crucial to the success of an adoption placement that an adopter takes time off work to care for and bond with their child. To date, the government has focused on supporting employed parents, as they do not generally have the same level of flexibility and autonomy over how and when they work as self-employed parents do.

Self-employed adoptive parents may be supported in a range of ways by local authorities, and it is not possible to make a ready comparison between these arrangements and statutory adoption pay provisions. Maternity payments, such as the maternity allowance, are not intended to assist with the costs associated with a new child.

The department’s statutory guidance covering financial support applies to all local authorities in England, and this does not vary by geographical region. We continually keep under review the need to revise guidance, including the statutory guidance on adoption. No specific information has been collected about the extent to which local authorities provide support as specified in paragraph 9.38 of the guidance. However, we have regular conversations with both local authority leaders and with leaders of regional adoption agencies about a wide range of adoption-related issues.

The department supports a range of activities to encourage the recruitment of prospective adopters, including £2 million to date towards a national recruitment campaign. The campaign messages continue to make abundantly clear that adopters are welcome from all walks of life and backgrounds. There are now significantly more prospective adopters than children waiting to be adopted. No specific assessment has been made of the potential merits and effectiveness of the statutory guidance and other support arrangements.

This information is not collected centrally for adoptive families or for prospective adopters.

The government wants the adoption system to welcome prospective adopters from all walks of life and backgrounds.