Adoption questions

[CornflakesandMilk]

Does anyone know about funding for adoptive parents? Areas such as Family Tax Credits, family allowance, or other funding at all? The .Gov website isn't clear or specific and it would be good to get answers from those who have experienced this themselves. Thanks.

You don't get any extra funding as such for adopting. It's the same as if you had birthed the child. For example if you would normally be entitled to tax credits, child benefit etc for a birth child then you would be entitled the same for an adopted child.

Adoption leave basically works the same was as maternity leave too.

Occasionally a small handful of parents through adoption may get what is called an adoption allowance. This is usually a very small weekly amount given to families who adopt children who are "harder to place" with complex needs or high sibling groups. Often it will be for a limited time and/or means tested. Often a parent might need to give up work or greatly reduce their hours to raise a child who is classed as harder to place so it's to try and help with the costs of that.