To: Theresa Coffey - Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

Give Special Guardians the same adoption leave as Adoptive parents

Special Guardians and Kinship Carers who are taking on parental responsibility for infants and children they have never cared for before should get Adoption Leave just as adopters do. These are the same children with the same needs who have been removed from their birth parents for reasons of abuse, neglect and risk of harm.

Why is this important?

It is completely wrong that people taking on parental responsibility for vulnerable infants and children who are often born addicted to drugs and who need a lot of extra care cannot get maternity leave like adopters do.

This is a totally unjust situation that cannot be in the best interests of any child or new born baby. It must be rectified immediately.