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Foster parental leave

If you become a foster parent of a minor child, you are entitled to foster parent leave. There is a specific scheme for employees and self-employed persons.

Birth benefits and baby gift

You are entitled to a maximum of six weeks of foster parent leave. Is a foster child placed in a family where the two parents are employees or self-employed? Then both parents are entitled to foster leave.  

You must take foster parent leave in a consecutive period.

What should you do?

For the application

  • Inform your employer about foster parent leave.
  • Provide CM with the application form, together with the necessary supporting documents.

After the application

  • After you have submitted your application to CM, you will receive an information sheet (this can also be done digital) and proof of resumption of work.  
  • Please return the completed information sheet as soon as possible. Your employer will receive a request for salary data directly from CM.  
  • No later than eight days after the end of the foster leave, you must return the completed proof of return to work to CM.

Provide CM with the application form, together with the necessary supporting documents.

Payment

You will keep your salary for the first three days of the foster leave. For the remaining days you will receive a benefit from CM twice a month. This amounts to 82 percent of the capped gross salary. A withholding tax of 11.11 percent is deducted from the payment.

The benefit amounts to 633.61 euro per week. The benefit will be paid in one go at the latest one month after the start of the foster parent leave, less 11.11 percent withholding tax.  

What are the conditions?

  • Foster parent leave must start within twelve months after the foster child's registration in the population or alien register of the foster parent's place of residence.
  • You must take at least one week or a multiple of this.  
  • The foster child must be placed in accordance with the regulations on youth assistance and youth protection.  
  • It must be clear from the start that the placement will last at least six months.  

Conditions for renewal

  • Foster parent leave can be extended by four weeks . This provision can be taken up by one foster parent or divided between both foster parents.  
  • If several minor children are placed simultaneously, the foster parent leave will be extended by two weeks per foster parent.  
  • Does the foster child have a physical or mental disability? The maximum duration of foster parent leave will then be doubled.

  • You must take foster parent leave in a consecutive period.
  • Foster parent leave must start within twelve months after the foster child's registration in the population or alien register of the foster parent's place of residence.
  • You must take at least one week or a multiple of this.
  • The foster child must be placed in accordance with the regulations on youth assistance and youth protection.
  • It must be clear from the start that the placement will last at least six months .

Conditions for extension:

  • Foster parent leave can be extended by four weeks. This provision can be taken up by one foster parent or divided between both foster parents.
  • If several minor children are placed simultaneously, the foster parent leave will be extended by two weeks per foster parent.
  • Does the foster child have a physical or mental disability? The maximum duration of foster parent leave will then be doubled.  

Professional activity during foster parent leave

  • As a self-employed person, you may not engage in any professional activity during your foster parent leave. However, there is an exception for:
    • volunteer work;
    • political mandate as a municipal councilor, member of the Public Centre for Social Welfare (OCMW), district councilor, provincial councilor, member of a social welfare council, councilor of a police zone, or member of a special committee of the social service;
    • mandate as a representative of a municipality, OCMW, or province.
  • You must notify CM before the start of the foster parent leave that you will be engaging in these activities and provide proof of this to CM: either a certificate from the organization where you will be doing volunteer work, or a copy of the decision assigning the mandate. If you do not provide us with the proof in advance, CM must refuse the entitlement to benefits for the weeks of the activity in question.