The government has approved a procedure for granting preliminary consent when foreign nationals seek to adopt children who are Armenian citizens and live outside Armenia.
The draft was developed by the Justice Ministry with expert assistance provided by the United Nations Children’s Fund, Sputnik Armenia reports.
Under the proposal, before the adoption process is completed in a foreign country, the competent authority of that country or the person seeking to adopt the child must submit the required information and relevant documents concerning the prospective adopter and the child to Armenia’s Justice Ministry.
The submitted materials will also be reviewed by Armenia’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and the Interior Ministry’s Police. Each agency will then provide its position within the scope of its authority.
The Justice Ministry will subsequently review the documents received and the positions submitted by the other agencies, prepare a positive or negative conclusion on the adoption and forward it to the Prime Minister’s Office.
The ultimate purpose of the procedure is for the government to grant or deny preliminary consent for the adoption.
According to the rationale for the proposal, the new regulation is intended to ensure that when an Armenian citizen child living abroad is adopted, authorities also assess the child’s needs, the prospective adopter’s ability to meet those needs and potential risks to the child’s safety.