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Adoptive Couples Questions
Do you have questions about adoption?
Some popular questions are answered below
We have heard adoption requires legal papers to be drawn up. What will it cost us?
Who handles the adoption process in New Zealand?
We hear you have to go through training to adopt. What does it involve and how long does it take?
We've heard there is a really long waiting list to adopt. How long is it?
What are profiles and what should we include in ours?
We know a girl who wants us to adopt her baby - can she pick us?
What does 'Open Adoption' mean in practice? Can the birth familes pop round whenever they want?
How old is the child likely to be if/when we adopt him/her?
I have a criminal conviction. Can I still adopt?
Will the birth parents be able to take the baby back if they change their mind?
Is it only babies who are adopted in New Zealand?
We have heard adoption requires legal papers to be drawn up. What will it cost us?
There are legal papers that have to be prepared. They are not particularly complicated and your own lawyer should be able to do them, although a lawyer who has done an adoption before may be preferable. The adoptive parents pay the legal fees. These will be somewhere in the range $500-$2000.
Who handles the adoption process in New Zealand?
Child Youth and Family (CYF) deal with the adoption process. Adoptive parents attend educational courses run by CYFs and then they create profile books which give details of their lives. A profile book will tell you about the couple and their families. They usually have lots of pictures in them and you can use them to choose a couple. A CYF social worker will talk to you about what you consider to be important and then he or she will select profiles that match your requirements. There is no set rule on when to look at profiles but for a whole lot of reasons it is better to wait until the last month of your pregnancy. The biggest reason is that your ideas about your baby, and what kind of family will be “right” will change as your pregnancy progresses.
We hear you have to go through training to adopt. What does it involve and how long does it take?
There is usually an initial information evening. Following this there will probably be two training days. In addition to be approved by Child Youth and Family (CYF) you will have to pass a medical, have a police check, be interviewed and have had your nominated referees interviewed by a CYF social worker. All this will probably take about a year. If you want more information click here.
We've heard there is a really long waiting list to adopt. How long is it?
There is no waiting list at all. Birth mum's pick the people to adopt their baby. Therefore you can be on the list of approved couples for a few hours or never get picked and be on it forever.
What are profiles and what should we include in ours?
Profiles are a type of book about you. These are created by would be adoptive couples to describe their lives and show what they have to offer a child. You can include anything you want in them. Obvious things include information about you, your upbringing, your values and your interests. Photos are good and sometimes a quote from someone who knows you well can be useful.
We know a girl who wants us to adopt her baby - can she pick us?
Yes she can but before her child can legally be adopted by you, you would have to be assessed and approved by a CYF social worker.
She keeps your baby. It’s that simple. There is absolutely no legal obligation for her to go ahead with adoption until the consent papers have been signed.
An Open Adoption is one that has identifying information shared. This can be at the time the adoption takes place and/or while the child grows up. It can be vary from minimal information like a photo and letter being exchanged at the time of birth, to regular contact between birthparents and adoptive parents and child.
What does 'Open Adoption' mean in practice? Can the birth familes pop round whenever they want?
How Open Adoption works in practice varies hugely from family to family. In some cases it will be an ocassional exchange of letters or even less. In other cases it will include physical contact every week or even more often. The level of contact is usually agreed before the legal papers are signed, but in practice it tends to evolve with time. Once the legal papers are signed full rights and responsibilities are passed to the adoptive parents so technically they can, if they choose, stop all contact. However research suggest that contact is good for all involved in the triad (child, adoptive family and birth parents).
How old is the child likely to be if/when we adopt him/her?
In New Zealand adoptions can take place from 10 days. Most adoptions are of babies, although some older children are adopted.
I have a criminal conviction. Can I still adopt?
This depends on the nature of the criminal record and will need to be discussed with a CYF social worker.
Will the birth parents be able to take the baby back if they change their mind?
Once the legal paperwork has been signed the baby is yours and is afforded the same legal rights as any other baby. A new birth certificate is issued with your names down as parent(s). The child cannot be taken back off you.
In New Zealand most couples who apply to adopt are approved. There will be cases where people convicted of crimes against children or who have certain health issues may not be approved. You can discuss your individual case with the social workers at Child Youth and Family. With a couple, if they are not married, only one member of the couple is allowed to adopt and has his or her name on the new birth certificate. Family members can formally adopt a child without going through the pre-adoption training days. They will be required to make an application to Child, Youth and Family and the process is the same as any other person who wishes to adopt a child. That is they will have to have a police check, a medical check and supply references.
In New Zealand (as of May 2007) it is not possible for single people to adopt a child from overseas. This is because no country with which New Zealand has inter-country adoption agreements permits adoption to single people. For more information click here.
Is it only babies who are adopted in New Zealand?
