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Thursday, December 28, 1972

There were 329 legal adoptions in 1971-72.

Legal adoption normally takes six months to complete, but in

exceptional circumstances, a shortening of the period may be requested.

In most cases, the Director of Social Welfare becomes the temporary

guardian of the child to safeguard its interests, and a fee of $100 is charged

for each application.

The child to be adopted must be in the continuous care and custody

of the applicants for six months before an adoption order can be made.

After that, the child enjoys the same legal status as the natural children in

the applicant's family.

Applicants

Intending applicants must be legally married, aged 25 and over.

Relatives of the child intending to adopt it must be over 21.

But Mrs. Chen explains that there is no age limit in respect of

applicants intending to adopt their own child not born of the present marriage,

Applicants should be in good health, and single males are not normally

allowed to adopt a female child.

Adoption workers assist applicants to understand the law and the

procedures to be followed. Applicants are visited and interviewed, and their

circumstances are studied to make sure that the execution of an adoption order

is in the best interest of the child. Only when this is beyond doubt is a re-

commendation made to the court.

Applicants can either find a child for adoption privately, or with the

but, at present, there are more applicants

help of the Social Welfare Department

known to the Department than children available.

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