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

1. Pre-Adoption Counseling/ Seminar
Adoptive Parents are required to attend a seminar or fora at the DSWD to help then
assess their motivation.


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


3. Homestudy Adoptive parents make arrangements for Homestudy to be conducted 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.

4. Matching
Matching of the child to the adoptive parents based on the Home Study is conducted
by the DSWD.


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






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


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


8. 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.


9. 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 are required to attend the hearings.


10. 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.


11. 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.
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.

Children eligible for adoption
1. Any person below eighteen (18) years of age who has been administratively or
judicially declared available for adoption in accordance with the procedures as
indicated in Articles 142 to 155 of the P.D. 603: The Child and Youth Welfare Code;

2. The legitimate son/daughter of one spouse by the other spouse;

3. An illegitimate son/daughter by a qualified adopter to improve his/her status to that
of legitimacy;

4. A person of legal age if, prior to the adoption, said person has been consistently
considered and treated by the adopter(s) as his/her own child since minority;

5. A child whose adoption has been previously rescinded; or


6. A child whose biological or adoptive parent(s) has died. Provided, that no
proceedings shall be initiated within six (6) months from the time of death of said
parent(s).