Maternity and adoption support leave

You may be able to take up to 1 week’s paid leave if you’re the person nominated by the main carer to assist them in the care of their child.

If a new or expectant parent does not have sufficient support from the father, spouse or partner at or around the time of the child’s birth or adoption, they may need support from someone else to assist in the care of the child at that time, such as a friend or the new child’s grandparent. 

If an Essex County Council employee is nominated by the new or expected parent to provide care support, that employee may be eligible to claim 1 week’s paid leave to be taken within 8 weeks of the child’s birth or adoption. 

Tell us your taking maternity and adoption support leave

Tell your line manager you’re planning to take maternity and adoption support leave as soon as possible, even if you're not sure of the exact dates. You need to tell them by:  

  • 15 weeks before the baby is due where it is possible to do so, or 
  • within 7 days of being notified of being matched with a child for adoption 

You should complete the maternity and adoption support leave form (DOCX, 72KB) and upload this to the Assyst portal. 

For further details on how to claim paid leave, you should refer to the notification and paperwork requirements for paternity leave. 

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