I want to adopt a child. What criteria would I have to meet, and would it cost me anything?
What’s involved in fostering a child?
I am pregnant and want to adopt out my baby after the birth. How do I do this?
How do I go about tracing my birth father?
I want to adopt a child. What criteria would I have to meet, and would it cost me anything?
There are many different options for adopting a child. The alternatives are:
Child, Youth and Family Services recommends caregivers who:
- Can commit wholeheartedly to caring for a child
- Have a stable home life
- Are willing to accept the child the way they are
- Can be resilient and patient
If you decide to adopt a child, you will have to:
- Fill out an application form which involves
- providing the names of two people who can act as referees for you
- giving permission for your doctor to provide medical information about you
- giving permission for Child, Youth and Family Services to do a police check
- Attend an adoption Education and Preparation Programme
- Be interviewed by social workers
- Submit a profile of your family for birth parents to consider
- Complete a number of consent forms and legal processes
Before making a decision to adopt, you should budget for the costs of your lawyer and the birth parent’s lawyer. Legal costs vary, so it’s a good idea to do some research before you choose a lawyer. Information about finding a lawyer is available in our Lawyers section.
To talk to someone about the process, or to start the adoption process, contact the Adoption Service office of Child Youth and Family. You can find the nearest branch online.
What’s involved in fostering a child?
Becoming a foster parent is a big commitment. You are responsible for the child’s day-to-day care over a short or long term. It’s a care arrangement, not a legal status – this means you’re responsible for caring for your child but you don’t have any legal rights over them. Foster parents are usually paid a government-funded allowance to help cover children’s costs.
To become a foster parent, you are normally trained and approved by Child, Youth and Family Services. The process takes two to three months. You will need to complete an application form and agree to:
- A police check
- Provide full proof of identity
- A full medical report from your doctor
- Provide names and addresses of two referees
- Take part in personal interviews, one of which will be in your home
To talk to someone about the process, or to start the fostering process, contact Child, Youth and Family Services.
I am pregnant and want to adopt out my baby after the birth. How do I do this?
It’s important that you have plenty of time to think about it. You can call Child, Youth and Family Services to talk to someone about your options on 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459), or contact the nearest Child, Youth and Family Adoption Services office.
If you decide to adopt out your child, you’ll get to choose adoptive parents from a wide selection of personal profiles. When you’ve made your choice, you will be encouraged to think about things you might want to talk about with the adoptive parents. Once the child has been born, you will meet the adoptive parents, after you’ve been given time and space to think about your decision.
More information on adopting out your child is on the Child, Youth and Family Services website.
How do I go about tracing my birth father?
If you want to trace your birthparents, and you are over the age of twenty, you have the right to your original birth certificate which will include the name of your birth mother and possibly also the name of your birth father. You can do this by filling in a Request for Pre-adoptive New Zealand Birth Certificate (BEM451) and sending it to Births, Deaths and Marriages. It will cost about $15.
If you live outside of New Zealand, the certificate will be sent straight to you. If you are living in New Zealand and one or both birth parents are named on the certificate, then the Adult Adoption Information Act requires that you also choose a counsellor and the certificate will be sent to your counsellor. This is so that you can get advice and assistance from the counsellor when you get the certificate.
You can also contact the Child, Youth and Family (Adoption Services team). To make enquiries about your birth parents, call 0508 FAMILY (0508 326 459) and ask for the Adoption Services team, or email them at webadoption@cyf.govt.nz. They can help you by finding information about your birthparents, and even liaise with overseas organisations if your birth parents have moved away or you were born in another country. For more information, see the Child, Youth and Family page on finding your birth family.