The Korean government is committed to reforming the adoption system
The Korean government is committed to reforming the system on adoption that presents a whole new world for a child
- The ministry held a ceremony to celebrate the 19th Adoption Day -
- The MOHW reaffirmed its commitment to reforming to a public adoption system,
revitalizing domestic adoption, and implementing a family-based care policy -
In keeping with the overall adoption system reform scheduled next July, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW, Minister Cho KyooHong)proposed ways to revitalize domestic adoption and strengthen family-based care.
The Act on International Adoptionandthe Special Act on Domestic Adoption,enacted and revised last year, will go into effect July 19 next year. The Act requiresthe central and local governments to take responsibility for the entire adoption process, which has been handled by adoption agencies. According to the MOHW, the ministry will reform the adoption system,minimize international adoption, andset up ways for children to find new parents within the country.
First, given the high percentages of overseas adoption forchildren who are older than 24 months or diagnosed with medical conditions, the ministry willestablish training requirements and other proceduresfor parents looking to adopt such childrento expedite the process.
* In 2023, more than 50% of domestically adopted children were under 12 months (75 out of 150), whereas none of the children adopted abroad were younger than 12 months, and 99% of them were between 1 and 3 years old (76 out of 79).
The MOHW will also change andmergethe consulting and application channelfor prospective adoptive parents from adoption agencies tothe MOHW and the National Center for the Rights of the Children (NCRC). The ministry will also create anintroductory programon child adoption so that anyone interested in adoption can learn about and prepare for the adoption process even before filing an application.
The MOHW also plans toreform the foster care systemto expand family-based care. To that end, the ministry plans torevise the Children Welfare Act to revamp the legal guardian systemso thatfoster parents do not experience difficulties in opening bank accounts and applying for passportsfor their foster children.
The reform also includesenhanced childcare subsidies for foster families without blood relations to theadopted children to revitalize foster care, which will be implemented in consultation with the relevant local governments. The ministry will also launchparenting coaching programs for foster parents in need of assistance, including those with caring for abused children or children with disabilities (pilot project to begin in 2025)to help the children grow in more stable environments.
In addition,the existing child-rearing facilities will be revamped into tailored care facilities for children with special needs,such as those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or borderline intelligence. Currently, 4,986 of the children at child-rearing facilities arechildren with special needs(41.9%, as of 2022), and thenumber has been going up for years. However, Korea stilllacks a service delivery system to care for them. As such, the ministry willreshape the facilitiesintomulti-purpose facilities serving local communities using the child counseling and treatment functionsof the existing facilities. The efforts also includerevamping the early care procedures, such as case conferences,to identifycare measures suitable for the needs and situationsof each child.
Furthermore, following the tragic death of a child in Suwon last June, the birth notification and protected childbirth systemsadoptedto prevent unregistered childbirths willgo into effect this July. The MOHW will prepare for the launch of the systems byrefining the relevant systems, including the collection of birth information, and building the consultation and support framework for pregnant women in crisis. In particular,regionalcounseling organizationsanda dedicated helpline for pregnant women in crisis (1308) are to be set uptosupport consulting for families of origin as a top priority taskand, if required,protected childbirth support will be provided.
OnMay 11 (Saturday) at 11 a.m., the MOHW held the19th Adoption Day Ceremony (2024)at the Daeyang Hall, Sejong University (Gwangin-gu, Seoul).