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Foster care and foster parent leave

Have you just taken a child into foster care? That’s wonderful! As a new foster parent, once your child is registered with Helan, you are entitled to leave, premiums, reimbursed maternity care, and discounts in the Helan Care Shop.

And there’s more: as a foster parent, you also benefit from a favorable priority rule and minimum rate within Helan Childcare.

On this page

Child in foster care? Arrange your foster parent leave and allowance

Neem je een pleegkind langdurig in je gezin op? Dan heb je als pleegouder recht op pleegouderverlof en een uitkering. Voor verplichtingen zoals een zitting in de rechtbank vraag je pleegzorgverlof aan. Ook het groeipakket en de pleegzorgtoeslag geven je een financieel duwtje in de rug.

Register your child with the municipality and with Helan

Register your child in the population register of your municipality.

Provide Helan with:

After registration with Helan, you will receive:

  • stickers after 10 days
  • an ISI+ card via MyGov

In case of long-term foster care, as foster parents you are entitled to foster parent leave and an allowance. Long-term foster care means that the child will stay with you for more than 6 months.

You request your foster parent leave from your employer.

Do this at least 1 month in advance.

Request your foster parent leave allowance via My Helan. Do this within 2 months after the registration of your child.

  1. Log in to My Helan.
  2. Select the Allowances section.
  3. Click on Incapacitated or Child on the way.

Fill in the application form.

  • Employee: complete the application form for your foster parent leave allowance together with your employer and collect the necessary supporting documents.
  • Self-employed: complete the application form for the foster parent leave allowance and collect the necessary supporting documents.
  • Submit this form and the supporting documents digitally or by post to Helan Independent Health Insurance Fund, Boomsesteenweg 5 in 2610 Wilrijk, including a white adhesive stamp.

Fill in the information form (employees only)

  • Complete your information sheet yourself via My Helan. Do this immediately so we can process your file faster.
  • As soon as your foster parent leave starts, Helan will contact your employer to ask them to complete an 'information sheet for allowances'.

Once all documents have been received, we will process your file.

If your file is complete, you will receive a letter with the exact daily amount and we will start the payments. My Helan shows you the current status of your application at any time.

Foster care leave should not be confused with foster parent leave. Unlike foster parent leave, you are also entitled to foster care leave in cases of short-term foster care.

A foster parent who is an employee can take up to 6 days of foster care leave per calendar year. This leave allows you to fulfill obligations related to the placement of a foster child in your family, such as attending a court hearing.

As soon as your foster child becomes part of your family and you have applied for the Growth Package (Groeipakket), the amount will be paid automatically every month.

A child placed in long-term foster care is entitled not only to the basic amount of the Growth Package (Groeipakket), but also to a foster care allowance. This amounts to €69.59 per month.

Apply for the Groeipakket

As a foster parent you are also entitled to maternity care and parental leave

Vang je een heel jong pleegkind op? Dan heb je als pleegouder bijna dezelfde rechten als een biologische ouder. Je kan rekenen op kraamzorg en ouderschapsverlof om er volop voor je pleegkind te zijn.

Your maternity carer supports you wherever you need it. Whether it’s caring for your baby, looking after your other children, or helping to keep your household running. You decide.

Per affiliated parent, you are entitled to a reimbursement of €5 per hour with a maximum of €150 per year. If both parents are affiliated with Helan, you are therefore entitled to €300.

If you need additional cleaning or ironing help, the team at Helan Household Help will be happy to assist you.

Request maternity care

Parental leave is a scheme that allows you, as a father or mother, to temporarily stop working, work part-time, 4/5, or 9/10, in order to spend more time with your child(ren).

Foster parents are also entitled to it since July. To find out how to apply and what the conditions are, visit the page about parental leave.

pleegmama speelt met haar twee pleegdochtertjes op de grond

 

Good to know

In addition to foster parent leave, an employee is also entitled to 6 days of foster care leave. This allows foster parents to meet additional obligations, such as attending court hearings or appointments with foster care services.

Duration of foster parent leave

  • For the reception and care of a child under the age of 18, as an employee you are entitled to 6 basic weeks of foster parent leave per parent, and the leave can be extended by 4 additional weeks to be shared between both parents.
  • Foster parent leave must start within 12 months following the registration of the child in the population register or foreigners' register.
  • The maximum duration of foster parent leave is doubled to 12 or 14 weeks if the foster child is affected by:
    • a physical or mental disability of at least 66%
    • a serious medical condition

Allowance foster care leave 

Yes, the RVA grants an allowance for each day you are absent from work. This amount is a flat rate. It is the same for all employees, regardless of their salary.

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Helan benefits for foster care

When you say Helan, you say extra benefits and reimbursements for you and your child. A selection of our offers during your adoption process can be found here:

Up to €300 for maternity care or a doula

Maternity care supports you at home. You receive a reimbursement of €5 per hour per affiliated parent, with a maximum of €150 per year.

Up to €300 foster care premium

Our foster care premium gives you a financial boost. You receive a premium of €150 per parent affiliated with the Helan health insurance fund.

50% discount on your baby essentials in the Care Shop

Helan offers you a good start with a 50% discount on the purchase of baby items in the Helan Care Shop. This comes with a maximum discount of €150 per child.

Extra gift worth €30

If you purchase your baby essentials with the above 50% discount, you will also receive a choice between 1 of these 2 gifts: Naïf Newborn Essentials or the MOES PLAY Tower Blocks.

Priority rule and minimum rate Helan Childcare

Finally, as a parent of a foster child, you are also entitled to the minimum rate and priority within Helan Childcare.

All benefits for parent and baby

Frequently asked questions about foster care

You are not obligated to take all of your foster parent leave. However, you must take your leave in full, uninterrupted weeks.

Unemployed people and those incapacitated for work who are no longer bound by an employment contract are not entitled to foster parent leave.

Yes, self-employed people are also entitled to foster parent leave.

Yes, employees who take a child into foster care are also entitled to parental leave since July 2025.

  • You are entitled to foster parent leave for the reception and care of a child under the age of 18 who will stay with you for more than 6 months.
  • Anyone appointed as a foster parent (including for shorter periods) can also take foster care leave to fulfill obligations linked to this appointment. For example, attending court hearings or appointments with the foster care service.

Pleegouderverlof is er bij de start van een langdurige plaatsing. Je krijgt tot 6 weken verlof, tot 12 weken bij een kind met een beperking. Je werkgever betaalt de eerste 3 dagen. Daarna krijg je een uitkering van je ziekenfonds: 82 procent van je begrensd brutoloon.

Pleegzorgverlof neem je op tijdens een lopende plaatsing, bijvoorbeeld voor een gesprek met de pleegzorgdienst. Je hebt recht op 6 dagen per jaar per pleeggezin. De RVA betaalt hiervoor een vast dagbedrag, ongeveer 147 euro.

Pleegzorgvergoeding is geen verlofuitkering, maar een kostenvergoeding. Je krijgt ze van de Vlaamse overheid zolang je een pleegkind of pleeggast opvangt: tussen 9,42 en 28,20 euro per dag.

Kort gezegd: pleegouderverlof is eenmalig bij de start, pleegzorgverlof komt jaarlijks terug, en de pleegzorgvergoeding loopt continu door.

Everything you need to know about foster care

Congratulations, you've become a parent! Would you like to know what your rights and responsibilities are as a foster parent? We're happy to help.

Parental leave
Return to work
Leave arrangements for pregnancy and foster care
jongen en meisje springen het water in

Track and manage your benefit file on My Helan

  • initiating your benefit file
  • track your benefit payments
  • add documents to your benefit file digitally
  • request holidays, return to work, voluntary work
  • and so much more!

Tracking on My Helan

Helan Independent Health Insurance Fund is the insurance agent (n° CDZ 5006c) for ‘MLOZ Insurance’, the VMOB of Independent Health Insurance Funds, (Register of Legal Entities in Brussels, 422.189.629, recognised under no. CDZ 750/01 for branches 2 and 18). View the data sheet and the General Terms and Conditions. Belgian law applies to the insurance contract. The term of the contract is whole life. In the event of any complaint, contact the complaints department of Helan Health Insurance Fund or the insurance ombudsman. For more information about purchasing this/these product(s), please contact Helan Health Insurance Fund. Helan Onafhankelijk ziekenfonds, Boomsesteenweg 5, 2610 Wilrijk, 0411.696.011, RPR Antwerpen, www.helan.be.