The Netherlands
А. LEGAL SPECIFICS AND REQUIREMENTS
The Netherlands is a country which on 26th June 1998 ratified the Hague Convention for Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption from 29th May 1993 and the convention has been in force since 1st October 1998.
Pursuant to art. 6 of the Hague Convention, Central Authority for the Netherlands is the Ministry of Security and Justice through the district Youth Care Agencies and the Youth Care Inspectorate.
International adoption for the Netherlands can be realized only if individuals with permanent residence in the country perform it through Dutch mediation organizations. These organizations have to be legal non-profit bodies that have received a mediation permit from the Minister of Justice.
When submitting the application for international adoption, the applicants should not be over 42 years. This age limit can be increased by only 3 years but only on condition that the 2 spouses (when the applicants are spouses) have not turned 44 years at the moment of submitting the application. An individual as well as a family have the right to adopt. Same sex couples can adopt only a child with Dutch citizenship. Since January 1st, 2009 homosexual couples can adopt if a country of origin allows such procedures. There is a requirement for a minimal (18 years) and a maximal (40 years) age difference between the adoptive parent and the adopted child.
In international adoption the child should not be more than 6 years old at the moment of his/her arrival in the Netherlands and should not suffer any serious mental or physical illnesses.
The assessments of the applicants are carried out by the Child Care and Protection Board at the district Councils for Child Protection which provide their opinion to the Minister of Justice with respect to the reliability of the applicants. On the basis of this opinion, the Minister issues an eligibility certificate for the adoption of a child of foreign citizenship and the certificate is valid for 4 years and till the applicant (or the older one in case of adoption by spouses) has not turned 46 years.
To adopt a child from abroad, the Dutch citizen should turn to a Dutch adoption mediation agency which is accredited to work with Bulgaria. The agency prepares all the documents and maintains contact between the client – the applicant – and the Bulgarian adoption mediation agency.
The international adoption is fully recognized and according to the foreign (in this case – the Bulgarian) court judgement the child acquires Dutch citizenship. The relations with the birth family are interrupted and with the new family new relations and rights are acquired as in the case of blood relationship. The adoption can be terminated only by force of a court judgement, if it is established that the consent for adoption is unauthorized, as well as upon request of the adopted child after he/she attains majority. After terminating the adoption the blood relations of the child with his/her birth family are re-established.
B. OUR PARTNER IN THE NETHERLANDS
Since 2004, on the territory of the Netherlands, ANIDO has been collaborating with the organization:
STICHTING KIND EN TOEKOMST
Varsseveldseweg 2a, 7025 GB Halle, Netherland
Telefoon 0314 – 63-20-80; fax 0314 – 63-16-14
Mevr. Bertie Treur
Intercountry Adoption Council sessions
This section contains information on the referrals (proposals) made by the IAC. This is the body within the Bulgarian Ministry of Justice, which makes the referrals.
A letter of gratitude - B. O’D and N. O’D., Co Donegal, Ireland
We are writing to thank you and your team for all of the wonderful help and support that you and the Staff of Anido gave to us from the very beginning to the very end of our adoption process and while on our two trips to your country.
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