Adoption

Adoption is a special form of family and legal providing and protection of children without appropriate parental care which establishes a permanent relationship between parents and a child. Adoption gives the adopters the right to parental care

Adoption establishes a permanent familial relationship and all ensuing rights and responsibilities. Adoption gives the adoptee and her/his descendants a right to inherit the adopters, their blood relatives and relatives by adoption.

A child may be adopted until the age of 18, if all the legal requirements for adoption have been fulfilled and if the adoption is in the best interest of the child Children who have reached 12 years of age give their consent to an adoption. Children have the right to know they were adopted. In adoption procedures, care shall be taken to ensure that brothers and sisters are adopted by the same adoptive parents, where possible and when in the best interests of the child.
 
A child may be adopted by both spouses and non-marital partners together, by one spouse/non-marital partner if the other spouse/non-marital partner is the child’s parent or adopter, by one spouse/non-marital partner with the consent of the other spouse/non-marital partner, and by a person who is not married or in an consensual union.
 
Persons who want to adopt a child submit a written letter of intent to adopt and a written application for the issuance of an opinion on their eligibility for adoption to the social welfare centre. Participation in the specialized preparation programme for adoption (education) that is conducted during the procedure of issuing opinions is obligatory.

Once prospective adopters are issued a positive opinion, they are entered into the Register of prospective adopters in the Republic of Croatia.
 
The process of issuance of an opinion on eligibility for adoption is carried out by the Croatian Social Work Institute in the prospective adopters’ place of residence. The preparation for adoption is carried out by the Croatian social welfare institute in the county seat and may also be carried out by civil society organisations with authorisation from the ministry competent for family affairs.

The adoption process is carried out by the Croatian social work institute in the child’s place of residence. According to the domicile or residence of the adoptive parent, the Croatian social welfare institute is obliged to monitor the adjustment of the child in the family and, after the expiration of six months, to draw up a report on it and submit it to the Croatian social welfare institute which has made the decision to establish adoption.