The Human Rights Protection and Civil Integration Committee discussed, in the I reading, the Draft Law on Adoption and Foster Care, which provides for updated regulations on assessing the socio-economic status of adoptive and foster parents.

According to Deputy IDPs, Labour, Health and Social Protection Minister, Irine Tsakadze, a family or individual wishing to adopt a child will, instead of submitting an extract from the Unified Database of Socially Vulnerable Families, be required to submit to the Care Agency the documents that will be approved by the IDPs, Labour, Health and Social Protection Minister on the basis of these legislative amendments.

According to the draft law, at both the initial stage of the process (registration of a prospective adoptive parent in the database) and the subsequent stage (declaration of consent to adopt a proposed child), it will be possible, on the basis of documentation established by ministerial order, to determine the sustainability of the adoptive parent’s socio-economic status. Together with other circumstances, this serves the purpose of prioritizing the best interests of the child.

The documentation to be established by ministerial order will include documents reflecting the individual’s or family’s income, property status, and socio-economic condition, including official documentation issued by public and private institutions.

The draft law also includes transitional provisions.

“Our goal is to ensure that the situation of families registered in the adoption database does not worsen. Therefore, for the 1,500 families or adoptive individuals currently registered in the database, the obligation to submit first-stage documentation will be considered fulfilled, since they have already submitted the relevant extract from the Unified Database of Socially Vulnerable Families. They will also no longer be required to undergo annual re-verification and resubmit documents reflecting their financial status to the guardianship and custodianship authority. As for the final stage, when the actual adoption process begins, they will be obliged, under the general rules and on equal terms, to submit the documents that will be approved by ministerial order”, - the reporter noted.

According to the draft law, a person registered as a prospective adoptive parent who has not completed the mandatory adoption preparation course will be required to complete the course and submit the corresponding certificate to the Agency before the adoption conclusion is submitted to the relevant district (city) court following the proposal of an adoptable child.