Romanian Draft Amendment To Provide Adjustment Leave And Stipend For Adopting Parent

The Romanian Adoption Office submitted Thursday the draft act amending Law 273/2004, regarding the legal status of adoptions, to public debate.

„The reduction in work hours may be granted on request by the employer, for three months since the court decision on the adoption has entered force, if the child was at least two years old at the time,” the draft act says.

Rights on the adjustment leave and wage should take effect the day after the court decision on the adoption enters force.

Should the beneficiary of the leave and wage die during the leave period, the rights are to be transferred to their spouse, together with the remaining leave time.

The adjustment leave time will be taken into account when establishing the rights according to Law no. 19/2000 on the public pension system.

The provisions regarding adjustment leave, wage and work hours reduction do not apply to people who adopt their spouse’s child or people or families who adopt a child that is not put up for adoption.

The draft amendment also says employers are obliged to grant dispensation to the adopting parent, in order for medical evaluations to be carried out, for each adopted child, without a reduction in wage rights, up to 16 hours per year or 32 hours if the adopted minor has a disability, or is infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS.

„Dispensation may be requested and granted until the post-adoption monitoring period provided by the law has ended,” the draft amendment says.

Furthermore, the adopter(s) of a disabled or HIV-infected/AIDS-suffering child will receive, for each child, financial aid in the form of a discount in expenses related to child supervision services. The aid is in the amount of RON1000 per year, granted until the end of the post-adoption monitoring period provided by law and regularly updated via Government decision, according to the cost of such services.