Parental benefits for adoptive parents

Maternity grant for a child under 18

If your adoptive child is under 18 years old, you are eligible for a maternity grant. You may choose between a maternity package and a lump sum. If you are adopting several children at the same time, the number of maternity grants will increase. If you are adopting, e.g. 2 children, you will receive 3 grants. To qualify for the maternity grant, you must be a resident of Finland and the provider of adoption services must have identified a specific child for placement in your custody. You must claim maternity grant within 2 months from the date on which the child was placed in your custody. You can claim the grant as soon as the child has been identified for placement with you.

Parental allowance for a child under 7

You can take parental leave to look after your adopted child who is under 7 years of age and receive parental allowance (or part-time parental allowance) during the leave. If you are adopting the child of your spouse or partner, you may be eligible for parental allowance if the child is under one year old and you are taking parental leave to look after the child.

No parental allowance is paid to an adoptive mother or father for the same period unless you are adopting several children at the same time or both of you take partial parental leave. To qualify for parental allowance, you must look after the child, i.e. you cannot work or study full time during parental leave. You must also have lived in Finland for at least 180 days immediately before the child was placed in your custody.

Parental allowance is paid from the date on which the child is placed in your custody. Adoptive parents will receive parental allowance for an extended period, about 8−9 months. The allowance is paid for at least 200 working days or for 234 working days from the first working day following the day the child was born.

To claim parental allowance, follow the application instructions and enclose proof of custody with the application (form SV 94). For adoptive parents, claims can be backdated by 2 months from when the child was placed in their care.

Paternity allowance for adoptive fathers

Adoptive fathers can claim paternity allowance from Kela and take a paternity leave, a parental allowance period and a daddy month on the same terms as other fathers.

Child benefit

Adoptive parents are eligible for child benefit in the same way as biological parents.

Child home care and private day care allowance

Adoptive parents have the same right as other parents to take child care leave and receive child home care or private day care allowance for that period. However, child home care allowance is more flexible for adoptive parents than for others. Adoptive parents can also receive child home care allowance for a child over 3 years of age. It is paid for 2 years from the start of the parental allowance period or when the child starts school.

Adoptive parents receive child benefit in the same way as other parents.

Child maintenance allowance

If you adopt a child without a partner, you may receive child maintenance allowance from Kela.

Updated 10/22/12