Adopting a child
Adoption is the process of integrating a child into a family they were not born in.
This process creates a relationship between the adoptive family and the child with legal effects identical to biological paternity and maternity. And at the same time, the legal links with the family of origin disappear. This is always carried out in the interests of the child.
To adopt, you must be over 25 years old and at least 14 years older than the adopted person.
Adopting a child in Catalonia
Children who can be adopted in Catalonia have been abandoned and/or have suffered abuse and are in the care of the Direcció General de Prevenció i Protecció a la Infància i l'Adolescència (DGPPiA). This body decides whether pre-adoption foster care is the best means of protection for the children.
The number of families currently approved for adoption is much higher than the number of foster placements that took place last year. So adoption applications are accepted, but will have provisional suspension status.
Steps to follow to adopt
- Training and assessment of suitability: the first step is to attend an information session, undertake training sessions and be interviewed by professionals who will determine whether or not the family is suitable.
- Waiting time: once the suitability decision has been made, the waiting time to adopt a child from Catalonia depends on the number of families selected, the offer of applicants and the needs of the children.
- Allocation of a child: in this final step, a specific child is proposed for the family and, after acceptance, the child's relationship with the family gradually begins. For a while, the situation is pre-adoptive fostering, the step prior to adoption. Full adoption is granted by a court decision.
The number of positively-assessed families who want a child aged 0 to 3 years old without specific problems is currently much higher than the number children available for adoption.
TOPInternational adoption
Adopting a child from another country entails an entire international procedure in which at least two different legislations are combined. The competent bodies of two countries are involved: those of the child's country of origin and those of the receiving country.
The allocation of a child to a family depends exclusively on the decisions of the children’s countries of origin.
International adoption is usually a long process and involves a set of financial costs.
Steps to follow:
- Adoption information session.
- Training and assessment process.
- Translation and legalisation of documents.
- Processing of the application in the country of origin.
- Assignation of the child.
- Travel, adoptive family's stay in the country of adoption and adoption formalities.
- Arrival of the child.
- Follow-up (at the request of the country of origin).
The case must be processed in the child's country of origin with all the documentation that the country requires of candidates. Sometimes the competent bodies may require additional information or more documents to be provided to continue the process. Those interested should study the conditions required by each country.