Portuguese gov't approves draft bill on child adoption

Publication date: 21 May 2015

LISBON, May 21 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government on Thursday approved a draft bill on the adoption of children, setting a 12-month deadline to expedite the procedure.

Minister of Solidarity, Employment and Social Security Pedro Mota Soares said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting that the deadline will have to be 12 months at most to guarantee that the adjustment can be made more quickly to ensure that a family can really adopt a child.

Mota Soares said that the center of this bill is for the protection of children as well as shortening waiting time, reducing bureaucracy, supporting and simplifying the lives of families.

He said that the bill also aims at speeding up the process of securing consent from the biological family. The consent has to be made before a judge to ensure it is done correctly and in only one single step.

Countries: Portugal