Right to the Family: Reform that Improves Adoption Processes in Mexico

On the afternoon of this Wednesday, April 6, inside the Chamber of Deputies in the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, the deputies of all political factions unanimously approved the reform that modifies the adoption processes in Mexico, this by virtue of the fact that children and adolescents can exercise their right to family.

Thus, with a demonstration of 472 votes in favor, amendments to the General Law on the Rights of Children and Adolescents (LGDNNA) were approved so that applicants for adoption (adopters) go to the Procuratorates for Protection, the National System for the Integral Development of Families (DIF) or to the State Systems in this area and provide a home to the more than 26,000 children who need it in Mexico.

Specifically, this amendment adds a second paragraph to Article 30 Bis 4, which indicates that the regulations to be adopted must contain the necessary and sufficient requirements and documents for the administrative procedure, the purpose of which is to determine the suitability of the adopter (s), this by virtue of granting the lower the right to a family that can receive it in the best possible conditions.

In addition, the professionals responsible for conducting the interviews must have the necessary experience, which can be accredited with the relevant documents, and perform their duties in strict accordance with the best interests of children.

Currently, the LGDNNA only states that “applicants must go to the Procuratorate for Protection, the National DIF System or the Entity Systems to carry out their adoption procedures, in accordance with the provisions of the corresponding regulations”.

Therefore, the document recently adopted by all political parties mentions that the addendum is intended to broaden the scope of protection and provide legal certainty in order to safeguard the best interests of children. In addition to the fact that the functions and powers of the bodies responsible for carrying out the procedures must also abide by this principle.

At the time of setting his position, Solomon Chertorivsky, deputy for the Citizen Movement (MC), said that the Census of Social Welfare Housing of Inegi mentions that there are almost 900 homes for minors in the country, which house more than 26,000 children and adolescents.

He also explained that most minors who come to these institutions attend different types of violence: they are abandoned at birth, orphans, victims of violence, neglect or sexual abuse, among others.

In this light, it was recalled that it is the task of the Mexican State to promote the greater good of minors, with which, with this reform, which was turned to the Senate of the Republic for ratification, it is hoped to guarantee the full and effective right of the right to the family, in addition to avoiding any type of harmful and violent environment against it sector of the population. Finally, it should be noted that since the initiative was approved unanimously, the same is expected to happen in the Upper House.

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