ADOPTION is a social and legal procedure of giving a stable family to a child whose parents have voluntarily or involuntarily surrendered parental authority over the child.
Adoption is for a child who cannot be raised by their birth parent and who need a new and permanent family. It offers equivalent mutual rights and obligations as the same as between children and their biological parents. It includes of social work and other professional services that are required in the placement of children in adoptive families.
Children whose parents are either gone or incapable to function as parents need the safeguard of the State. Care of the child requires adequate study to be assured that the assignment is suitable and present no threat to the child’s growth and development. The Philippine government through the Department of Social Welfare and Development has a concern in every adoption including those by stepparents and relatives.
Adoption Process
1. Pre-Adoption Counseling/ Seminar
Parents that are planing to adopt are obliged to attend a seminar or fora at the DSWD to help then assess their motivation.
2. Filing an Application
Parents that are planing to adopt must file an application for adoption at the DSWD after completing the seminar or fora.
3. Declaration of the child as Abandoned (Optional)
If efforts to locate the biological parents shall not succeed, the child will be registered as foundling. The child will be then subject to legal proceedings to declare him/her abandoned and ready for adoption.
4. Homestudy
Adoptive parents make arrangements for Homestudy to beconducted by DSWD or child-placing agency. If the parents planning to adopt residing abroad, the it shall only be done by an agency duly accredited by the Inter-country adoption board.
5. Matching
Matching of the candidate child to the possible adoptive parents based on the Home Study is conducted by the DSWD.
6. Issuance of pre-adoption placement authority
Department of Social Welfare and Development release a pre-adoption placement authority attesting that the child is ready for supervised trial custody.
7. Supervised Trial Custody
The child is placed under the custody of the possible adoptive parents for a period of six(6) months.
8. Consent to Adoption
DSWD issues its written consent to adoption after the supervised trial custody.
9. Filing of Petition for Adoption at the Regional Trial Court
the Petition for Adoption shall be filed within 30 days after the receipt of the consent to Adopt.
10. Publication and Hearing of the Petition
Before hearing, RTC Orders the publication of the Hearing of the Petition in the newspaper of general circulation once a week for three consecutive weeks.The parents planning to adopt and adoptee are required to attend the hearings.
11. Issuance of the Decree of Adoption
Upon approval of the adoption, the court issues an adoption decree and enters a judgment. Time frame is 6 monthsfrom the date of submission of the Petition for Resolution.
12. Authorization to Travel Abroad
Once the adoption is already final, the Department of Social Welfare and Development shall issue a authorization in writing for the child to travel outside the country. The birth certificate of the child is also amended to reflect the names of the adoptive parents. The Decree of Adoption becomes final after 15 days from date of the receipt of the parties. Provided that the DOJ did not file and Appeal.
