What is Adoption?
Adoption is a legal process by which a person becomes a member of a different family than the one in which he or she was born. Adoption provides the opportunity of a family to a minor who lacks it.
The decision to adopt is a process of reflection, commitment, and acceptance of a child for life.
Adoption Service
The adoption service, of the Administration of Families and Children, offers a safe, stable and permanent home to minors under the guardianship of the Department of the Family with different adoption plans, including permanent, primary, or concurrent adoption, for children who have been released from their biological parents’ authority.
Why adopt a minor from the Department of the Family?
Minors in the custody of the Department of the Family with a permanent plan for adoption, lack a permanent family.
They expect a home that will love them, care for them, accept them as they are, and offer them a better quality of life.
Legal requirements for adopting parents:
- Be of legal age.
- Be 14 years of age or older than the minor to be adopted.
- Have good moral standing and economic solvency.
- Provide evidence of a Certificate of Criminal Background, Marriage, and Birth.
- Negative certificate of history of violence or mistreatment of minors.
What is REVA?
The “Registro Estatal Voluntario de Adoption” or Voluntary State Register of Adoption is an electronic register that includes all the names of minors with permanent adoption plans including up-to-date and accurate information to identify the adopting parties.
For an applicant to enter REVA, it will be mandatory to provide a signed social study, legal documents and to strictly comply with the regulations approved by the Department of the Family.
How long does the adoption process take?
This varies from case to case, but background checks, foster parent training, and home evaluations can usually be completed in 60 days or less.
Myths and Facts in Adoption
Myth: All adopted children have learning problems.
Fact: There are all kinds of children in the adopted population.
Myth: The younger the child is at the time of adoption, the greater the guarantee that they don’t have learning problems.
Fact: Like biological children, adopting a young child is not an absolute indicator that he or she will not present learning problems in the future.
Myth: The legal process of adoption can take years.
Fact: The new Act reduced the time it takes to adopt once the request for adoption has been completed.
Myth: Biological parents could appear and claim their rights.
Fact: If the adoption is done with all legal guarantees, the foster parent, has a total right over the adopted minor; the adoption is irreversible.
Source of information: Department of the Family Administration of Families and Children, Government of Puerto Rico
