International adoption is a popular choice for many Irish couples who want to be parents. Adopting a child internationally can offer a childless couple the opportunity to be parents, and the child in question the option of a loving and stable home.
Ireland is a signee of the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption, meaning they are a) subject to certain standards and b) only able to adopt from countries that are also signees. This legislation was expanded upon with the Adoption Act 2010, which commenced on the 1st of November 2010, with the intention of standardising domestic and inter-country adoption.
The list of countries that have signed on for the Hague Convention and can therefore allow Irish potential parents to adopt are as follows;
- Bulgaria
- China
- Haiti
- India
- Philippines
- Poland
- Thailand
- United Kingdom
- U.S.A
- Vietnam
For further information about qualifying as suitable prospective parents for each country, see here.
