Changes in Romania’s adoption procedures

Senate endorsed a bill designed to simplify adoption procedures

Ştefan Stoica, 29.11.2018, 13:40

The Senate of Romania Wednesday endorsed a draft law that revises the legislative framework on adoptions, by introducing provisions that speed up the process through which a child is declared available for adoption, make the assessment of prospective adopting families more flexible and do away with red-tape in the field.

First of all, the bill no longer requires the authorities to identify a childs relatives up to the fourth degree, in cases where a childs individual protection plan decides that adoption is the best solution. The national adoption practice so far proved that this procedure lengthened the process through which an orphan child could find an adoptive family.

The bill also makes adoption procedures more flexible for children above 14 years of age and for siblings who cannot be separated. The new legislation also ensures more flexibility in international adoption procedures.

At the same time, the draft law introduces new financial incentives for the families interested in adopting older children, children with disabilities or siblings, and provides for financial aid to cover for the costs of childrens healthcare services, including psychological care. The adoptive familys transport and accommodation expenses may also be refunded under the new bill.

According to one of the new amendments, an adoption case manager can decide that a child is available for adoption if the natural parents, who are at least 18 years of age, give their consent to the adoption within 60 days after abandoning the child. In such cases, adoption will be decided as the solution in the individual protection plan within 45 days after the natural parents have expressed their consent.

The relevant social services authority is in charge with taking all the steps to identify the natural parents and to contact them, to keep them informed on the place where the child is living and on the options for the natural parents to stay in touch with the adopted children, as well as on what they can do for children to return to their natural families.

(translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)