Adoption is a legal process where the parental rights over a child are conferred to the applicants, whom one or both are not the natural parents of the child. The Court will appoint a Guardian in Adoption (GIA) who will ensure and safeguard the child’s legal interest before the Court. It is also the GIA’s task to investigate the circumstances of the adoption and report the findings to the Court. The Court will only grant an adoption order after the applicants have satisfied the requirements of the Adoption of Children Act (Cap 4), and after the Court has determined that the interest of the child to be adopted is best represented.
Before an adoption order can be made, consent from the natural parent in a prescribed form is required. By signing the prescribed form, the natural parent would be stating under oath that he/she understands the nature and effect of an adoption order; particularly, that he/she would be waiving and be deprived of his/her parental rights, duties, obligations and liabilities to the child.