Claiming payments for children leaving care as part of the process of adoption, surrogacy arrangement, or a child removed by state/territory child protection agency 007-02010010
Expand allThis document outlines information for birth mothers who are claiming Parental Leave Pay (PPL) and/or Family Tax Benefit (FTB) including Newborn Supplement (NBS) and Newborn Upfront Payment (NBU) for a child leaving their care as part of the process of adoption or a surrogacy arrangement.
Birth mother entitlements
Birth mothers may be eligible for up to the maximum number of PPL days for children born on or after 1 July 2023 for the purposes of maternal recovery when they relinquish the care of the child:
- as part of the process of adoption
- as part of a surrogacy arrangement, or
- where the child has been removed from the customer's care by a state or territory child protection agency
Once the birth mother has relinquished care of the child, their PPL days cannot be shared with anyone else.
Birth mothers may be eligible for FTB (which can also include NBS and NBU if the customer is not eligible for PPL) for a newborn child if the child remains in their care following the birth. The birth mother would also need to be the primary carer of the child, for example the child remains in their care for a specified time for breast feeding. Once the child leaves their care, eligibility for FTB will cease.
Note: gaining parents in a surrogacy and adoptive parents can also receive up to the maximum entitlement of PPL for the same child. See Claiming payments for children entrusted to care as part of the process of adoption or surrogacy (dept.local).
General claim requirements
Early claims can be lodged up to 97 days before the child's expected date of birth. Submitting an early claim before the child's birth allows payment arrangements for PPL to be established, and lodging proof of birth as soon as possible after the birth helps to avoid payment delays.
After the birth of the child, birth mothers need to provide:
- proof of the child's birth, and
- confirmation the child has left the customer's care as part of the process of adoption or as a part of a surrogacy arrangement
The Resources page contains links to the Services Australia website, relevant publications and forms, and the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk online query form.
Related links
Initial contact by customers claiming payments for families
Claiming payments for children entrusted to care as part of the process of adoption or surrogacy
Online or Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) for family assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
Initial contact for an early claim for family assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL)
Claiming family assistance and Parental Leave Pay (PPL) for a newborn child