What is an adoption?

Article 88 of the Child Code defines: "Adoption is, mainly and par excellence, a protection measure by which, under the supreme vigilance of the State, the relationship parent-child between persons that do not have it by nature is established in an irrevocable way ".
The main objective in an adoption is to guarantee that the child or youth grow and develop within a family, responding to the prevalent constitutional right of the child to have a family.

 

How can I access the service?

 
• When a family living in Colombia wishes to adopt a child, they can go to the ICBF Regional Office or to the authorized Adoption Houses. Here they receive information and guidance on the documents they must have and the necessary psycho-social requirements to guarantee the restoration of the rights of the child or youth to belong to a family.

• When the family is Colombian or foreign but lives abroad, they can get in touch with the adoption service of the country where they live and to ask for information on adopting a Colombian child or youth. Here they receive guidance about the requirements and how to send the complete application form to the ICBF National Headquarters. They must express their desire to adopt a Colombian boy, girl or youth, their expectations about the child and the most relevant information about their family.

 
How much does it cost to adopt a child in Colombia?

In Colombia the adoption is free. However, the process requires a number of documents that may cost some money and, once the boy or girl has been assigned, the judicial process of adoption begins. This is done before a Family Judge or a Family Comprehensive Judge. They also require a lawyer (chosen by the family) which also represents a certain amount of expenses.

Who renders the service?

This program can only be developed in Colombia by:
• The ICBF through its 28 Regional Offices and 5 additional Department (State) Agencies

• The 8 adoption houses authorized by the ICBF: Ayúdame, Casa de la Madre y el Niño, CRAN, FANA and Pisingos in Bogotá; Casa de María y el Niño and Casita de Nicolás in Medellín; Chiquitines in Cali.

What are the expectations of the adoption process?

• To guarantee every child his/her fundamental right to grow up in a family, establish a parent-child relationship under the strict observance of the State.

• To find a family for a child who needs one and not a child for a family. For this purpose activities to prepare and analyze the specific needs are made.

Which children under 18 may be adopted?

According to Colombian legislation, children under 18 may be adopted only in the following cases:

• When they have been declared abandoned by the Family Defender
• When the parents, by mutual consent, have considered adoption before the Family Defender
• When there are no legal representatives and the child is not in an abandoned situation, as in the case when the child is in the care of relatives who are not his/her parents, because both are dead or have been declared insane
• The child of one of the parents may be adopted by the other parent when a person who has a child later marries someone who is not the child's father/mother.

Who may adopt?

• Jointly
• Married couples
• A couple formed by a man and a woman who can prove uninterrupted union for at least three years.
• This period of time begins the moment the (previous) legal separation of bodies takes place, if the couple or one of its members had a previous marriage in force. (Art. 90 Child Code)

Individually
• Single people, separated or widowed
• The adopter who is married and has not legally "separated bodies" must have the spouse's consent in order to adopt.

 

What qualities are required of those who wish to adopt a child in Colombia?
 

According to what is established in Article 89 of the Child Code, the following qualities are required to adopt a child jointly or individually:
• Be legally capable
• Be 25 years old or older
• Be at least 15 years older than the adoptee
• Guarantee physical, mental, moral and social competence and prove that you are capable of providing an adequate home for the child
 

What are the procedures before the ICBF?
 

People interested in adopting a child must fill out the application form "Request for Adoption", and must be aware of the technical criteria established by the ICBF to select and assign the child to be adopted.

Always having the child's interest as the main concern, who has priority in adopting a child?

• Colombians have priority over foreigners
• Couples with no children
• Couples who have a biological or adopted child and would like another one
• Those who request groups of brothers/sisters for adoption
• Those requesting to adopt children over 7 years old
• Those who request to adopt a child with physical or mental disabilities
• The age of those requesting an adopted child is a main consideration

Address: Avenida 68 N. 64-01 Oficina 201 Bogotá, DC - Colombia.
Apartado Aéreo N. 18116
Phones: (57-1) 231-4558 , 231 4066 ext. 216
Fax (57-1) 250-5045