Adopting a child

The process :

In Belgium, adoption procedures are managed by the Flemish Adoption Agency (Kind en Gezin) for the Flemish Region and by the Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE) for the Brussels-Capital Region and the Walloon Region.

The adoption process may vary depending on the situation and the type of adoption (national, international, intra-family, etc.), but in general the main steps are as follows:

1. Contact the Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE) for information on the different forms of adoption and the procedures to follow in your area.
2. Complete an adoption application and provide the required documents, such as birth certificates, marriage certificates and criminal records.
3. Attend information sessions and individual interviews with a social worker to assess your suitability to adopt.
4. Start the accreditation procedure with a view to obtaining authorisation to adopt.
5. Once you have been approved, you can put yourself on a waiting list to adopt a child.
6. When you are put in contact with a child to adopt, you will be invited to meet the child and assess whether you are ready to adopt him or her.
7. If you decide to go ahead with the adoption, you will have to follow the legal and administrative procedures to finalise the adoption, which may include obtaining an adoption decree and drawing up a new birth certificate for the child.

To find out more about these procedures, visit the Adoption - Federal Public Service Justice website (belgium.be).

What documents do I need to provide?

The documents required for adoption may vary depending on the situation and the type of adoption, but in general they may include birth certificates, marriage certificates, criminal records, proof of income and psychological and social assessments. It is advisable to contact the Office de la Naissance et de l'Enfance (ONE) for a full list of the documents required.