What is an approval? 

Approval for theadoption of a child is a legal authorization. Be careful, this document does not say that you are potentially "good parents" but that you offer a home that is perfect for a child who is desperate for a family. Note that this is not a right to be entrusted to a child. It will then be necessary to take the necessary steps to adopt a child.

The pleasure ... My precious!

Accreditation is a valuable document, the only one that allows you to prove that you have the right to adopt a state ward, a child entrusted to a PAO or a foreign child. Remember to ask for more copies, especially if you are considering a adoption abroad, the constitution of several files being authorized. Never give the original (unique) of your approval, even at the end of the procedure: you will imperatively need to present it to the court in France, or to the public prosecutor of the Nantes tribunal de grande instance to finalize your adoption.

Can we do without an amenity?

Only adoptions intra-family benefits are dispensed. It aims to evaluate the candidate families for theadoption in their home, educational and psychological host capacities. It is not a question of selecting the candidates but of checking the absence of contraindications to their project ofadoption.

How do you get accreditation to adopt?

Approval foradoption is issued by the president of the General Council (who delegates this right to the director of social services of the department of residence), after the opinion of a commission. The examination of the application for approval concerns the legal, social, medical and psychological situation of candidates foradoption. The steps are therefore the constitution of an administrative file, medical visits, and interviews with social workers and psychologists or psychiatrists.

The first step to get it?

First of all, you must send a written request to the President of the General Council or the ESA of your residence department to indicate your wish to take steps to obtain an approval. People who do not reside in France can apply to the President of the General Council of the last department in which they have resided or to that of a department in which they have retained ties.

How long does the accreditation procedure last?

Generally, the time between confirmation of the application for approval and the final decision does not exceed nine months. Some departments do not, for the moment, to meet this deadline, for lack of staff. You must know that the procedure can be long, especially before having the first meetings with social workers.

The different steps of the approval procedure?

In response to your letter of application for approval, the Social Assistance for Children of your department will inform you of the steps to take and the steps to follow:

- the number and age of the pupils accommodated in your department,
- the operation of the OAA (Organizations approved foradoption) andadoption foreign children,
- the number of applicants and approved applicants for the department,
- the rights of applicants,
- the administrative procedures of approval,
- the judicial proceedings of theadoption.

A summary document of this information should be given to you. A questionnaire and a list of documents to provide will also be provided for the constitution of your file. Then you will meet social workers, as well as psychologists and / or psychiatrists, who are responsible for evaluating and helping you to mature your project.adoption.

The administrative file for approval: its content:

The ASE (Social Assistance for Children) of your department will ask you to provide the following documents to build an administrative file:

- the complete copy of the birth certificates of the applicants

- a copy of the family record book if the household already has children

- an extract of criminal record n ​​° 3

- a medical certificate of good health

- proof of income to prove that you are able to raise, even very simply, a child.

Agreement or refusal of approval: who makes the decision?

The social investigation report and that of the psychologist or psychiatrist are examined by the six members of the Accreditation Commission which includes:

- three representatives of the Social Welfare Service for Children
- two members of the family council of pupils of the state of the department,
- a qualified person in the field of child protection.

The members of the commission give an opinion. It is the president of the General Council who grants or refuses approval, after the opinion of the commission. The decision is made in the absence of the applicants, but they can be heard by the commission.

If I move or change department: what happens?

- Moving during the procedure: you must repeat a new application for approval:
- Change of domicile but already in possession of your approval: your approval remains valid, provided that you declare your new address by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the president of the General Council of the new department, no later than two months after your move, with a photocopy of your approval.

Your file will then be sent to the Child Welfare of your new department.

Adoption (May 2024)