Petition · past parliament

Make statutory adoption leave and pay available for the self employed

Closed 63 signatures

What the petition asks

Statutory adoption pay and leave is not available to those who are self employed however statutory maternity leave and pay is. This is discriminatory against those willing and wanting to give the best start to an adopted child by being at home to nurture, care and develop a bond with their child.
A self employed parent who can biologically have a child can receive statutory maternity leave and pay. If for whatever reason they have chosen to adopt a child this self employed parent has no rights to adoption pay and leave.

By leaving self employed adoptive parents to self fund and not work over this leave, it places another barrier to the adoption process.

A prospective adopter will have a strengthened application if they can show how one parent can commit to adoption leave.

Timeline

30 Aug 2018 Petition opened for signatures
28 Feb 2019 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 63
Status Closed
Opened 30 Aug 2018
Closed 28 Feb 2019

Follow this petition

Sign in to get an email when the government responds, a debate is scheduled or held, or the petition closes.

Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.