To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what provisions are in place to allow parental leave for new foster parents, including Kinship Carers.

Entitlement to shared parental leave is available to new mothers and adopters and their partners (who may be the child’s father or the other adopter).

Entitlement to the right may arise for foster parents when a child enters a foster placement with them and there is a significant probability that the placement will become an adoptive placement. In those circumstances, entitlement to adoption leave and shared parental leave can arise prior to the formal placement for adoption.

There are no broader arrangements for shared parental leave for foster parents or kinship carers.