A
doption. It’s a life-
changing experience for
everyone involved, and
the very thought of the
process can be daunting. Not only are
you choosing to bring another person
into your family, but that little person
will almost certainly have another
family out there somewhere; he or
she might come from a very different
cultural background; and it’s very
likely that he or she will have special
needs. In addition to the challenges
and complications of becoming a
parent, this child will come with a
whole other set of circumstances that
add to the emotional journey.
Despite the obstacles, there are a
number of reasons why people choose
to adopt. According to Mother’s
Choice, one of three adoption
agencies in Hong Kong, “Some
couples build their families through
adoption because of infertility.
Others would like to become adoptive
parents because they love children
and are able to provide a loving
forever home for them. There are also
couples who already have biological
children and choose to adopt
because they wish to have a bigger
family. Others hear of the needs of
waiting children and hope to make a
difference in their lives by providing
love and care. No matter what reason
you may have, the most important
one is that you are sure that you want
to become parents.”
Who is eligible to adopt?
If you do decide that adoption is the
right thing for your family, Hong
Kong offers a great deal of support
and resources. And there are also a
number of rules. The Department
of Social Welfare’s adoption unit
handles all adoptions in Hong Kong,
including inter-country adoptions
(when you adopt a child from outside
of Hong Kong).
In order to adopt a child in Hong
Kong you must have been a resident
here for at least 12 months, be at least
25 years old, prove yourself to be
physically and financially capable of
raising a child until independence,
and, if you are adopting as a couple,
you must have been married for at
least three years. If you meet those
criteria, then you can attend a
briefing by the Department of Social
Welfare before submitting your
application.
Beyond meeting the minimum
requirements, you’ll also be assessed
further. There are three not-for-profit
adoption agencies in Hong Kong that
are authorised to conduct suitability
assessments and child placements:
Mother’s Choice, which provides
local and inter-country adoption
services, as well as supporting
pregnant mothers; International
Social Services Hong Kong, which
deals primarily with inter-country
adoptions; and Po Leung Kuk, an
organisation that works with adoption
agencies in the US and Australia to
place children from Hong Kong in
loving homes abroad.
After you’ve been assigned a
case worker and chosen an agency,
you will undergo a suitability
assessment. The assessment will
cover all aspects of your home life,
including “the applicants’ personality,
interests, early life experience, coping
abilities, marital stability, parenting
attitudes and capacities, adoption
motivation, abilities in meeting the
needs and developing the potentials
of the children being adopted, etc.”
Applicants will also have to undergo a
criminal record check.
The waiting time between being
assessed and being matched with
a child can vary from a number of
months to years. Locally, it ranges
from 12 to 24 months. If you are
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