By DMLO in Collaboration with Adoption Advocates Organisation (AAO)
Any one who is interested to be a foster family for a vulnerable child has the option to do so because of the law on Foster Family and Domestic Adoption Directive No 48/2020. The document that need to be compiled are as follows:
Registration and Eligibility
The first thing to do is registration. Registration at the institution as an interested foster family. The ‘institution’ includes government or charity organization which have authority and licence from the Federal government to perform domestic and foster care adoption. This in particular includes government or licensed private orphanages. The institutions shall have responsibility to prepare registration form to be filled by potential families. The registration must also include the foster family needs, including age, gender, health status and other conditions of the child. The registered foster care family should fulfill eligibility requirements. The registered foster family must have Ethiopian nationality and solely reside in Ethiopia permanently. They should be above 25 years of age. Unless and otherwise there is no option, the child must only be given to married persons. Priority shall be given to a family who reside in the area where the foster child resides. Family must duly approve their willingness by written consent to foster the child. Family shall have sufficient economical capacity to raise the child. Foster family should be a person who has not convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for offenses related children. Family must have medical certificate that enables them to raises the child.
Home Study
After making sure that the eligibility requirements are fulfilled, before the concerned authority placed the child to foster family, a home study shall be done. The concerned organ shall assess the foster family by attending home visits to acknowledge their psycho-social and economic conditions in accordance with the check list.
Evidences Concerning the Foster Family
The foster family should produce Ethiopian nationality identification card, birth certificate, medical certificate, police clearance certificate, marriage certificate and income evidences. Medical certificate should confirms they are completely free from transferable or uncured deceased so as to confirm their health capability to properly raise child.
Evidences Concerning the Child
Once the status of the foster family is assessed and completed, then the status of the child shall follow. General information of the child namely gender, age, language, religion (for a child capable of expressing himself/herself), place of birth and other related information, residential address of the child, birth certificate of the child, family status of the child (abandon, single or double orphan) and other related status shall be organized. The child physical, mental, psychological and health status, educational status of a child, economical status of a child, (for example acquiring property through inherits or grant) shall also be identified. If the child is found abandoned, name and address of the person who found the child, date, place and other related information’s must be organized.
Foster Care Agreement
Once the bonding activity is carried out, legally binding agreement shall be made between the institution and the foster family. If an agreement is signed between the charity institution and the foster family, the concerned governmental institution shall also sign as a witness. After the agreement is concluded, in order to protect economic and social rights of the child, the foster family may present its petition of guardianship to the competent court of law.
For further information you may contact us at info@dmethiolawyers.com
