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Please note, from 6 April 2025 a new entitlement to neonatal care leave and pay will be introduced. If you are adopting a baby born on or after 6 April 2025 that receives neonatal care for 7 days or more in the first 28 days following birth you will be entitled to take neonatal care leave in addition to adoption leave. Full details will be added to the Special Leave Policy shortly. |
The University of Cambridge aims to provide adoption benefits which comply with both the letter and the spirit of the law on adoption rights and are in excess of these statutory requirements.
This policy aims to inform employees of their contractual and statutory adoption rights, and to ensure that those rights are understood.
Eligibility
This policy applies to all employees, regardless of their length of service, marital or civil partnership status and their entitlement to statutory adoption benefits.
Provisions laid down by the Statutory Adoption Pay regulations implemented under the Employment Act 2002 and the Work and Families Act 2006 state that employees eligible to take Statutory Adoption Pay are those who are newly matched with a child for adoption by an approved adoption agency.
Adoption leave and pay will be available to individuals who adopt or one member of a couple where a couple adopt jointly (the couple may choose which partner takes adoption leave).
The partner of an individual who adopts, or the other member of a couple who are adopting jointly, may be entitled to paternity leave and pay.
Adoption leave and pay will also be available to an employee who is becoming the parent of a child via a foster to adopt process arranged by a local authority, provided they meet the eligibility criteria outlined in this policy.
Adoption leave and pay will also be available to an employee who is becoming the legal guardian of a child under a surrogacy arrangement, provided they adopt the child or intend to apply for a parental order within 6 months of the child’s birth and expect the order to be granted. The other eligibility criteria outlined in this policy also apply.
Adoptions from overseas are not dealt with in this policy but further information is available from the HR Business Partnering team.