A major boost for adoptive parents was annouced yesterday with the news that they could in future be entitled to paid time off work to help a child settle into their families.

Adoption professionals have long campaigned for an end to the inequality that exists whereby natural parents have the right to take paid maternity leave whereas adoptive parents get paid leave only if their employers are generous enough to give it.

The announcement was welcomed by the British Agencies for Adoption and Fostering which described the move as "wonderful news" and said it could encourage more people to consider becoming adopters.

It could particularly be helpful for single adopters, says BAAF, whose figures show that 70 per cent are in full-time work.

The plans were announced in a Government consultation paper by Trade and Industry Secretary Stephen Byers who said: "This is a real step along the path towards achieving a fair and lasting deal for parents working in a modern society."

Head of BAAF, Felicity Collier said the proposals helped achieve public recognition that parenting a child through adoption was "a vitally important and demanding role".

She added: "It is essential that new adopters receive financial support which will allow them to spend time at home to help children placed for adoption to settle into their new families, and we hope that the possibility of including the earnings related element of statutory maternity pay will be reconsidered.

"Children who are adopted today have rarely had easy lives - they have often been neglected or abused and have experienced much sadness and often many moves in their short lives.

"The first few months in a new family are a vital time in which the children can become close to and settled in their new family.

"Many adopters currently cannot afford to take unpaid leave from their jobs - they deserve full financial support for this new parental role.

"We believe the introduction of paid adoption leave would allow many more people to come forward as prospective adoptions from a range of backgrounds."

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