You can receive adoption or foster care pay in the following situations:

• You have an employer and therefore have income protection coverage through the Sickness Benefits Act (‘Ziektewet’).
• You are receiving an unemployment benefit ('WW-uitkering'), a sickness benefit ('Ziektewet-uitkering') or a salary-linked WGA benefit ('loongerelateerde WGA-uitkering').
• You have voluntary income protection coverage ('vrijwillige verzekering').
• Your employment has ended, or your unemployment or sickness benefit has ended, and you adopt or foster a child within 10 weeks of it ending.
• You work as a care provider ('zorgverlener') for someone with a personal budget ('persoonsgebonden budget, pgb') and you have an employment contract ('arbeidsovereenkomst').

If your employment ends during adoption or foster care leave, you will continue to receive your adoption or foster care pay.

You will not qualify for adoption or foster care pay in the following situations:

• You are self-employed ('zzp'er').
• You work for your partner's business.
• You have an independent profession. For example, as a freelancer, family doctor (‘huisarts’), or someone providing housekeeping services for the elderly or people with a disability ('alfahulp') or offering private home help ('particuliere huishoudelijke hulp') working fewer than 4 days per week. This also applies if you are a shareholder in the company you work for ('medeaandeelhouder').
• You are a care provider working through a personal budget and you have a care contract ('zorgovereenkomst') with your partner or family member, or a care contract as a self-employed care provider ('zorgovereenkomst van opdracht'). Find out more about the different types of care contracts on the SVB ('Sociale Verzekeringsbank') website (in Dutch).

You will also not qualify for foster care pay if you are a foster parent for an emergency placement ('crisisplaatsing').

Proof of adoption

To qualify for adoption pay, you will need to provide 2 documents as proof of the adoption: 

• 1 document that confirms the adoption will go ahead and the date the child will join your family. For example, a statement from a licensed adoption agency.

Plus 1 of the following documents:

• a record of the child's registration in the municipal personal records database ('Basisregistratie Personen, BRP')
• a registration with the Immigration Police ('Vreemdelingenpolitie')
• a temporary residence permit ('machtiging tot voorlopig verblijf') for the child in the Netherlands, issued by the Dutch embassy in the child's country of origin

Proof of foster care

To qualify for foster care pay, you will need to provide the following documents:

• a document confirming that the foster care placement will go ahead and the date the child will join your family, for example a foster agreement ('pleegcontract')
• a record of the child's registration in the municipal personal records database ('Basisregistratie Personen, BRP')

In addition to foster care pay, there are other forms of support available, for example a foster care allowance (in Dutch, 'pleegvergoeding'). You can apply for this through the organisation that placed the child with you.