Child adoption increased in Iran

TEHRAN – Child adoption has increased in the country, as some 2,000 children are adopted annually, 1,700 of whom are placed for permanent adoption and 300 in temporary custody, Habibollah Masoudi, deputy director of the Welfare Organization has stated.

Following the Law on Protection of Children and Adolescents in [the Iranian calendar year] 1392 (March 2013-March 2014), the number of adoption cases has increased and 2,000 children are placed for adoption annually, some of whom are placed under temporary custody because a temporary trustee is better than care centers, he explained.

For adoption, criteria like mental health, the ability to take care of a child, no addiction, no criminal record, and bad reputation, as well as proper income must be achieved. The approach is the result of studying the adoption process in 10 countries around the world, he noted.

He went on to say that many countries in the world have stricter rules for adoption than Iran. For example, driving violations are considered for adoption. It is believed that those who commit traffic violations are lawbreakers and cannot be good parents, also issues such as parties and home safety are considered in some countries.

Last year, 160 children were adopted who were suffering from diseases or disabilities. Also, 130 children were given to single girls over the age of 30, he stated.

Previously, adoption only included orphans, but now even children whose parents have been denied permanent custody by the court are subject to an adoption, he concluded.

Montazer Shabr, the Welfare Organization’s director for children affairs said in July 2019 that there are 10 applicants for fostering each child in the country.

Currently, some 2,800 applicants are waiting for the adoption, most of whom are parents not having children or intending to foster a child, he added.

Ahmad Khaki, deputy head of Tehran’s welfare organization for social affairs, said that the number of children adopted in Tehran increased by 25 percent in [the Iranian calendar] year 1396 (March 2017 – March 2018) compared to the year before, as some 500 children were adopted by Tehraners last year (ended March 2019).

According to the Welfare Organization, the country's adoption and foster laws that dated back to some 44 years ago was revised and modified in 2013. Within the new law, kids could be adopted up to the age of 16 while the former law states that kids aged 12 or less could be adopted. In addition to families with no child now families with one kid and single women are able to apply for adoption.

The law formerly authorized adoption only for orphans while the new law permit adoption for children with dysfunctional families as well in case the judge concludes that the new family is suitable for adoption.

Previously, the adoptive families were required to sign over one-third of their property to their child-to-be but some could not afford to do so and now the judge gets to decide how a family, depending on their financial status, should be treated.

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