Adoption in the Philippines
Republic Act No. 11642, or the Domestic Administrative Adoption and Alternative Child Care Act was enacted on January 6, 2022. The new law removes the judicial process for domestic adoption under Republic Act No. 8552, as this would now be handled administratively by the National Authority for Child Care (NACC), a new agency to be attached to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
While the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) for RA 11642 are still under consideration, the DSWD Memorandum Circular No. 03, S. 2022 will serve as the basis for implementation of a three-year transition process.
Interested or prospective adoptive parents may coordinate with the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) located in the different Field Offices of the DSWD to apply for adoption during the transition period and before issuance of the IRR.
Under R.A. 11642, the NACC is also the Philippine Central Adoption Authority which reorganized and replaced the former Inter-Agency Adoption Board (ICAB). The existing procedures for inter-country adoption by ICAB, which are in accordance with Republic Act No. 8043, the ISO 9001:2015 certified Quality Management System (QMS), and Procedures and Work Instruction Manual (PAWIM) shall be followed during the transition period.
Please contact the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) for more information on adoption process in the Philippines.
To bring an adopted child to the United States from the Philippines, you must meet certain suitability and eligibility requirements. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) determines who is eligible to adopt a child from another country and bring that child to live in the United States under U.S. immigration law. Additionally, a child must meet the definition of a Convention adoptee under U.S. immigration law to be eligible to immigrate to the United States with an IH-3 or IH-4 immigrant visa.
Questions about Intercountry Adoption?
The Office of Children’s Issues in the Bureau of Consular Affairs, U.S. Department of State, plays an active role in the intercountry adoption process. In addition to serving as the U.S. Central Authority for the Hague Adoption Convention, some of the office’s primary functions include:
- Responding to inquiries about the intercountry adoption process;
- Producing and maintaining country-specific adoption information ;
- Issuing Adoption Alerts in crisis situations;
- Working with U.S. embassies on diplomatic efforts with host governments about adoption laws and procedures.
For more information, please visit the official Department of State Intercountry Adoption homepage.