Adoption provides a child with a family when their birthparents are not able to raise them. The most important consideration when it comes to adoption, is what’s best for the child.
We work with families wanting to adopt, as well as birthparents who want to place a child for adoption. We’ll support and guide you through the adoption process. We can also help if you’re adopted and want to find out information about your birthparents, or if you are a birth parent seeking information about your birth child.
Each year a small number of children in New Zealand are placed by their birth parents for adoption.
You can apply to become an adoptive parent, but birth parents make the decision about who they would like to care for their child.
If you want to adopt, you can consider adopting an orphaned or abandoned child from overseas.
We work with a number of other agencies to help people through the process of inter-country adoption.
Your baby or child can be adopted by another family if you're not able to look after them. Placing your child for adoption is a big decision to make.
You can discuss your options with us so you can make the decision that's best for your child and you.
If you were part of an adoption that took place before 1985, it may be possible to find information about your birth parent or child.
We can help you with this process.
If you're considering having a child using a surrogate mother, it's important to understand that under New Zealand law
the child's legal parents at the time of birth, will be the surrogate mother and her partner, if she has one, and if the partner consented to the surrogacy arrangement.
