By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:54 EST, 5 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:28 EST, 5 February 2013 . New parents will be allowed to work alternate months for up to a year under moves to tear up ‘old-fashioned and rigid’ workplace rules. Mums and dads will be able to ‘mix and match’ how they look after a newborn baby for their first year. They will be able to take up a total of 52 weeks in joint leave, either taking it in turns or at the same time. Ministers hope the changes, published today, will encourage fathers to play a bigger role in raising their child while mothers are able to return to work at a time of their choosing. Minsters want parents to be able to share up to 52 weeks of parental leave in the first year after their child is born . The Children and Families Bill is aimed at modernising workplace rules, with dads taking more time off to raise children and mums returning to work sooner. But it risks creating an organisational nightmare for employers, who will not be able to refuse requests to take off but can turn block the pattern of leave, if parents want to take time off in different chunks. Business Minister Jo Swinson said: ‘Current workplace arrangements are old-fashioned and rigid. The Children and Families Bill will bring the way mums and dads balance their lives at work and at home into the 21st century. ‘Employers will soon get used to more . men taking time off after their child is born and more mothers returning . to work earlier, shattering the perception that it is mainly a woman’s . role to stay at home and look after the child. ‘These . measures will really help our aim of ensuring more businesses are . making best use of women’s talents throughout the organisation, from the . boardroom to the shop floor.’ The . government claims the family-friendly changes to shared parental leave . and flexible working will support economic growth and increase . productivity. Statutory maternity pay will be replaced by parental leave pay. Business minister Jo Swinson said the changes would make it easier for families in the 21st century . The parent taking the first six weeks of leave will receive 90 per cent of average earnings. For the next 33 weeks they will be paid £135.45-a-week. The remaining 13 weeks of leave would be unpaid. However business groups have warned against the idea. When the policy was floated last year the British Chamber of Commerce warned it could not 'support proposals encouraging parents to request patterns of shared leave alternating between them in chunks as small as a week'. Dr Adam Marshall, director of policy, said: 'Few employers will be able to find adequate cover over an extended but non-continuous period. 'We believe that such requests will almost always be rejected as unworkable, causing unnecessary stress to the relationship between employer and employee.' On childcare, there are proposals to . introduce childminder agencies to help more childminders into the market . and offer greater support and assurance of quality. Workers will also be allowed to attend two ante-natal appointments with a pregnant woman, if they are the child's father, same-sex parent of married to the mother-to-be. Leave and pay entitlements for adopters will also be brought more closely into line with what is  available to birth parents. The Bill also aims to speed up the adoption process. Children wait an average of almost two years between entering care and moving in with an adoptive family. The Bill seeks to improve support for the families, and ensure that a search for a perfect or partial ethnic match does not become a barrier to finding a child a parent. Anne Marie Carrie, the chief executive of charity Barnardo's, said: 'In . these difficult times protecting and promoting the well-being of the . most vulnerable children in society must be our absolute priority, now . more than ever. 'In reforming the system our utmost concern must always be the child and . we will always fight for their voice to be heard and their needs put . first as any changes are made.' On family justice, the Bill seeks to introduce a time limit of 26 weeks when courts are considering whether a child should be taken into care, ensuring they do not get caught up in unnecessary evidence or bureaucratic delay. It will also bring in new 'child arrangement orders' designed to focus parents on the child's needs rather than their own 'rights' and make sure more families have the opportunity to try mediation before applying to court. Education minister Edward Timpson said the legislation would speed up the adoption system . The Bill aims to extend the special educational needs system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parents greater choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly met. It will replace statements and learning difficulty assessments with a new birth-to-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, extending rights and protections to young people in further education and training and offering families personal budgets so they have more control over the support they need. It also seeks to improve co-operation between all the services that support children and their families and require local authorities and health authorities to work together. Children and families minister Edward Timpson, who is to make a speech on the issue later, said: 'In this Bill we will overhaul adoption - breaking down barriers for adopters and provide more support to children. 'We will reform family justice - tackling appalling delays and focusing on the needs of the child. And we will improve services for vulnerable young people - transforming the Special Educational Needs system and better protecting children's rights.' However Richard Hawkes, chief executive of charity Scope, said: 'The Government said its SEN reform would prevent parents being forced to go from 'pillar to post' in a battle between different authorities and agencies. 'Parents of disabled children have been looking forward to action. But instead it looks like the Government is going to politely suggest to local bodies that they do their best to improve things. 'Parents say it's a battle to get their children support such as childcare or nursery places, appropriate schools, essential therapies or even healthcare in their local area. 'But buzz words such as 'culture change' and 'local frameworks' will do nothing to alleviate the stress and anxiety parents feel.'
Children and Families Bill promises shake-up of adoption, parental leave and special needs help .
New parents will be able to share 52 weeks of leave, taking time off together or alternating .
Business groups warn the plan could create a headache for employers .
By . Matt Chorley, Mailonline Political Editor . PUBLISHED: . 05:54 EST, 5 February 2013 . | . UPDATED: . 09:28 EST, 5 February 2013 . New parents will be allowed to work alternate months for up to a year under moves to tear up ‘old-fashioned and rigid’ workplace rules. Mums and dads will be able to ‘mix and match’ how they look after a newborn baby for their first year. They will be able to take up a total of 52 weeks in joint leave, either taking it in turns or at the same time. Ministers hope the changes, published today, will encourage fathers to play a bigger role in raising their child while mothers are able to return to work at a time of their choosing. Minsters want parents to be able to share up to 52 weeks of parental leave in the first year after their child is born . The Children and Families Bill is aimed at modernising workplace rules, with dads taking more time off to raise children and mums returning to work sooner. But it risks creating an organisational nightmare for employers, who will not be able to refuse requests to take off but can turn block the pattern of leave, if parents want to take time off in different chunks. Business Minister Jo Swinson said: ‘Current workplace arrangements are old-fashioned and rigid. The Children and Families Bill will bring the way mums and dads balance their lives at work and at home into the 21st century. ‘Employers will soon get used to more . men taking time off after their child is born and more mothers returning . to work earlier, shattering the perception that it is mainly a woman’s . role to stay at home and look after the child. ‘These . measures will really help our aim of ensuring more businesses are . making best use of women’s talents throughout the organisation, from the . boardroom to the shop floor.’ The . government claims the family-friendly changes to shared parental leave . and flexible working will support economic growth and increase . productivity. Statutory maternity pay will be replaced by parental leave pay. Business minister Jo Swinson said the changes would make it easier for families in the 21st century . The parent taking the first six weeks of leave will receive 90 per cent of average earnings. For the next 33 weeks they will be paid £135.45-a-week. The remaining 13 weeks of leave would be unpaid. However business groups have warned against the idea. When the policy was floated last year the British Chamber of Commerce warned it could not 'support proposals encouraging parents to request patterns of shared leave alternating between them in chunks as small as a week'. Dr Adam Marshall, director of policy, said: 'Few employers will be able to find adequate cover over an extended but non-continuous period. 'We believe that such requests will almost always be rejected as unworkable, causing unnecessary stress to the relationship between employer and employee.' On childcare, there are proposals to . introduce childminder agencies to help more childminders into the market . and offer greater support and assurance of quality. Workers will also be allowed to attend two ante-natal appointments with a pregnant woman, if they are the child's father, same-sex parent of married to the mother-to-be. Leave and pay entitlements for adopters will also be brought more closely into line with what is  available to birth parents. The Bill also aims to speed up the adoption process. Children wait an average of almost two years between entering care and moving in with an adoptive family. The Bill seeks to improve support for the families, and ensure that a search for a perfect or partial ethnic match does not become a barrier to finding a child a parent. Anne Marie Carrie, the chief executive of charity Barnardo's, said: 'In . these difficult times protecting and promoting the well-being of the . most vulnerable children in society must be our absolute priority, now . more than ever. 'In reforming the system our utmost concern must always be the child and . we will always fight for their voice to be heard and their needs put . first as any changes are made.' On family justice, the Bill seeks to introduce a time limit of 26 weeks when courts are considering whether a child should be taken into care, ensuring they do not get caught up in unnecessary evidence or bureaucratic delay. It will also bring in new 'child arrangement orders' designed to focus parents on the child's needs rather than their own 'rights' and make sure more families have the opportunity to try mediation before applying to court. Education minister Edward Timpson said the legislation would speed up the adoption system . The Bill aims to extend the special educational needs system from birth to 25, giving children, young people and their parents greater choice in decisions and ensuring needs are properly met. It will replace statements and learning difficulty assessments with a new birth-to-25 Education, Health and Care Plan, extending rights and protections to young people in further education and training and offering families personal budgets so they have more control over the support they need. It also seeks to improve co-operation between all the services that support children and their families and require local authorities and health authorities to work together. Children and families minister Edward Timpson, who is to make a speech on the issue later, said: 'In this Bill we will overhaul adoption - breaking down barriers for adopters and provide more support to children. 'We will reform family justice - tackling appalling delays and focusing on the needs of the child. And we will improve services for vulnerable young people - transforming the Special Educational Needs system and better protecting children's rights.' However Richard Hawkes, chief executive of charity Scope, said: 'The Government said its SEN reform would prevent parents being forced to go from 'pillar to post' in a battle between different authorities and agencies. 'Parents of disabled children have been looking forward to action. But instead it looks like the Government is going to politely suggest to local bodies that they do their best to improve things. 'Parents say it's a battle to get their children support such as childcare or nursery places, appropriate schools, essential therapies or even healthcare in their local area. 'But buzz words such as 'culture change' and 'local frameworks' will do nothing to alleviate the stress and anxiety parents feel.'
They will be able to take up a total of 52 weeks share up to 52 weeks of parental leave in the Children and Families Bill is aimed at an organisational nightmare for employers, who taking time off after their child is born and parents feel.'