People involved

This section will be documented further later.

Stages

• Stage 1 - the initial enquiry stage
• Stage 2 - the application and initial assessment
  • Interim guidelines for determining the eligibility and suitability of sole applicants
• The documents you will need
• Stage 3 - the education/preparation
  • Prior to starting the course: get time off for the classes and meetings
  • Session1 - Introduction to the preparation course to intercountry adoption and to the standards for homestudy assessments
  • Session 2 - Exploring adoption family trees and the importance of attachment
  • Session 3 - The impact of loss and separation, its relevance to adoption ; Identity, difference and belonging
  • Session 4 - Child development & medical matters
  • Session 5 - Talking about adoption - telling the adoption story ; Advocating for your child
  • Session 6 - Secrets & lies - endings & beginnings
• The tools you will need
  • Evaluation of learning
  • Family tree
  • Eco map
  • Loss graph
  • Adoption tree
  • Lifebook
  • Media Watch
  • Time Pie Chart
  • Care plan
  • Country Quiz
  • Gathering family and medical history
  • Registering a Civil Partnership: have your wedding in 3 months
• Stage 4 - the home study
  • Session 1 - General information
  • Session 2 and 3 - Personal history: self, family, relationships, society
  • Session 2 and 3 - Personal history: physical description
  • Session 4 - Home visit: description of accommodation
  • Session 5 - Relationship
  • Session 6 - Final meeting: country of choice
  • Further sessions
• Stage 5 - declaration of eligibility and suitability
• Stage 6 - choosing a country of origin
• Stage 7 - seeking a referral (matching)
• Stage 8 - getting immigration clearance
• Stage 9 - collecting the child
• Stage 10 - coming home
• Stage 11 - registering the foreign adoption
• Stage 12 - notifying HSE and social services
• Stage 13 - living the family life, in pink

Process

Who Can Adopt?

Persons resident in Ireland who wish to adopt a child abroad are required to have their eligibility and suitability established by their local Health Board / Registered Adoption Society prior to adopting.

Eligibility

The eligibility criteria for adoption are provided for under the Adoption Acts 1952-1998. In order to be eligible to adopt you must fall into one of the following categories:

1. You are a married couple living together. This is the only circumstance where the law permits the adoption of a child by more than one person;
2. You are a married person living alone. In this circumstance the spouse’s consent to the adoption must be obtained, unless they are living apart and are separated under (i) a court decree, (ii) a deed of separation, (iii) the spouse has deserted the prospective adopter or (iv) conduct on the part of the spouse results in the prospective adopter, with just cause, leaving the spouse and living apart;
3. You are the mother, father or a relative of the child (relative meaning a grandparent, brother, sister, uncle or aunt of the child and/or the spouse of any such person, the relationship to the child being traced through the mother or the father);
4. You are a widow/widower;
5. You are a sole applicant not covered in any of the categories above and the Adoption Board is satisfied that, in the particular circumstances of the case, it is desirable to grant an order.

There is also a minimum age limit for adoption. You must be at least 21 years of age if the child is not a relative. If the child is to be adopted by the natural father or mother, or a relative of the child, only one of you must have attained the age of 21.

As regards residency, you must be ordinarily resident in the State and must have resided in the State for at least one year before the date of the making of the Adoption Order.

Suitability

Suitability assessments may only be carried out by a Health Board / Registered Adoption Society. In accordance with section 8(1) of the Adoption Act, 1991 a Health Board must carry out assessments for persons ordinarily resident in its functional area. Registered Adoption Societies may carry out assessments on behalf of Health Boards or at the request of those wishing to adopt abroad but are not obliged to do so.

The 5 “standards” are:

1. The capacity to safeguard the child throughout his or her childhood;
2. The capacity to provide the child with family life that will promote his or her development and well being and have due regard to the physical, emotional, social, health, educational, cultural, spiritual and other dimensions. The resources that families can draw on will vary from family to family and may change over time. Whatever circumstances the family find themselves in, the applicant/s will be able to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of maintaining an on-going and meaningful relationship with their child;
3. The capacity to provide an environment where the child’s original nationality, race, culture, language and religion will be valued and appropriately promoted throughout childhood. This will include the capacity of the parent/s to recognise the differences between themselves and their child within these areas and to recognise and try to combat racism and other institutional and personal oppressive forces within society;
4. The capacity to recognise and understand the impact of being an adopted child from an overseas country on the development of the child’s identity throughout their childhood and beyond;
5. The capacity to recognise the need for and to arrange for appropriate support and intervention from health, social services, educational, and other services throughout childhood.

Also refer to

• Adoption information booklets
• Standard framework
• The Irish-Mexican group FAQ’s which are full of good info and contacts

Reading/viewing relating to ‘pink’ adoptions

Reading/viewing recommended by AAI