Nicaragua Amends Adoption Laws

“Last week the National Assembly of Nicaragua, debated and approved all the articles in the new adoption law under the Family Code, making some significant changes to adoption requirements. Single-parent adoptions will be allowed for Nicaraguan nationals as will adoptions by couples in common law marriages. International adoptions still require a legally married couple to be eligible, along with background checks. Adoptive parents must be at least 24 years old and no one over the age of 55 will be allowed to adopt. Additionally, the adoptive parents must be 15 years older than the child being adopted. There are exceptions to this requirement where the National Council for Adoption can consider allowing family members to seek adoption of their relatives, even if they don’t meet this age requirement.

New strict requirements seek to reduce child trafficking with foreign adoptions. They include mandating regular reporting of the development of adopted children until they are 18 years of age. “These measures were included in the Adoption Law in order to prevent organ trafficking and human trafficking,” said Irma Davila, chair of the Justice Committee of the National Assembly.”
Nicaragua amends new laws on adoption

[Nicaraguan Bugle 8/19/12 by Margaret Mendez]

Nicaragua is not a Hague country. Their US placements have fluctuated  over the past few years, FY2008 had 10 placements; FY2009 had 26 placements; FY2010 had 11 placements and FY2011 had 30 placements.

Some agencies with current or soon-to-come programs: A Helping Hand Christian Adoptions of Kentucky places from Nicaragua. They are affiliated with Nightlight Adoption Agency. For-profit MLJ Adoptions also places from Nicaragua. Colorado-based agency A Family in Bloom is said to begin placing from Nicaragua in Fall 2012. Adoption Hope International, a South Carolina agency, also places from Nicaragua.

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