Adoption

Requirements and Supporting Documents

For prospective adoptive parents

1. Homestudy Report
2. Authenticated birth certificate;
3. Marriage Contract or Divorce, Annulment, Declaration of Nullity, or Legal Separation documents;
4. Written consent to the adoption by the legitimate and adopted sons/daughters, and illegitimate
sons/daughters if living with the applicant, who are at least ten (10) years old;
5. Physical and medical evaluation by a duly licensed physician; and when appropriate, psychological
evaluation;
6. NBI/Police Clearance;
7. Latest income tax return or any other documents showing financial capability, e.g. Certificate of
Employment, Bank Certificate or Statement of Assets and Liabilities;
8. Three (3) character references, e.g. the local Church/Minister, the employer, and a non-relative member
of the immediate community who have known the applicant(s) for at least three (3) years;
9. Pictures of the applicant(s) and his/her immediate family taken within the last three (3) months;
10. Certificate of attendance to pre-adoption fora or seminars.

For prospective adoptive child

1. Child Study Report

2. Authenticated birth certificate or foundling certificate, when appropriate;

3. Written consent to adoption by the biological parent(s) or the legal guardian and the written consent of
the child if at least ten (10) years old, signed in the presence of the social worker of the Department or
child caring agency after proper counseling as prescribed in Section III of these Rules;

4. Death Certificate of biological parents, Decree of Abandonment or Deed of Voluntary Commitment, as

appropriate;

5. Medical evaluation of the child and his/her parent(s), if available;

6. Psychological evaluation, when appropriate; and

7. Picture of the child.

Domestic Adoption (Step-by-step procedure) RA8552

Pre-Adoption Counseling/ Seminar

Adoptive Parents are required to attend a seminar or fora at the DSWD to help then assess their motivation.

Filing an Application
Adoptive Parents files an application for adoption at the DSWD after completing the seminar or fora.

Declaration of the child as Abandoned (Optional)

If efforts to locate the biological parents shall fail, the child shall be registered as foundling. The child shall
then be a subject to legal proceedings to declare him/her abandoned and ready for adoption.

Homestudy
Adoptive parents make arrangements for Homestudy to beconducted by DSWD or child-placing agency. If the
adoptive parents residing abroad, the Homestudy shall only be conducted by an agency duly accredited by
the Inter-country adoption board.
 Matching
Matching of the child to the adoptive parents based on the Home Study is conducted by the DSWD.

Issuance of pre-adoption placement authority

DSWD issues a pre-adoption placement authority attesting that the child is ready for supervised trial
custody.

Supervised Trial Custody

The child is placed under the custody of the adoptive parents for a period of six(6) months.

Consent to Adoption
DSWD issues its written consent to adoption after the supervised trial custody.

Filing of Petition for Adoption at the Regional Trial Court

Adoptive parents file a Petition for Adoption at the Regional within 30 days after the receipt of the consent to
Adopt.

Publication and Hearing of the Petition

Before hearing, RTC Orders the publication of the Hearing of the Petition in the newspaper of general
circulation once a week for three consecutive weeks. Adoptive parents and adoptee arerequired to attend the
hearings.

Issuance of the Decree of Adoption

Upon approval of the adoption, the court issues an adoption decree and enters a judgment. Time frame is 6
months from the date of submission of the Petition for Resolution.

Authorization to Travel Abroad

Once the adoption is already final, the DSWD shall issue a written authorization for the child to travel
abroad. The birth certificate of the child is also amended to reflect the names of the adoptive parents. The
Decree of Adoption becomes final after 15 days from date of the receipt of the parties. Provided that the
Department of Justice did not file and Appeal.

Domestic Adoption (Step-by-step procedure) RA8552

Alternative Procedure

The adoptive parents may file the Petition immediately with the Regional Trial Court. However, upon receipt of the
Petition, the RTC shall not issue an Order directing the Publication of the Petition but instead it will issue an Order
referring the Petition to the DSWD for the required case study and Homestudy Report. The Petition shall be held in
abeyance pending the production of the Child Study and Homestudy Report.