Adoption Service
Introduction
To find suitable and permanent homes for illegitimate children or children whose parents are deceased, deserted the family, or unable to take care of them. For children with special needs while no suitable local adoptive homes can be identified, adoption by overseas families will be arranged. SWD also handles privately arranged adoption cases such as adoption by step-parents or relatives.
Local Adoption
To contact SWD Adoption Unit:
| Address: | Room 201, 2/F., North Point Government Offices, 333 Java Road, North Point, Hong Kong |
|---|---|
| Telephone: | 35951935 |
| Fax: | 35950025 |
| Email: | auenq@swd.gov.hk |
| Working Hours: | Monday to Friday 8:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Closed on Saturday, Sunday and Public Holiday |
Fees and Charges
Assessment on the suitability of adoption applicants provided by SWD is free of charge. For successful applicants, a fee of $4,210 will be charged for the Director of Social Welfare to act as guardian ad litem during the adoption proceedings.
Leaflets
| Item / Name | Download File / Link |
|---|---|
| Considering Adoption (English version) | |
| Considering Adoption (Other languages) | Other languages |
Intercountry Adoption
Information and application procedures can be downloaded here:
| Item / Name | Download File / Link |
|---|---|
| Information Sheet for Intercountry Adoption of a Child from the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) |
Accreditation System for Adoption and List of Accredited Bodies
As stipulated in the Adoption Ordinance, the Director of Social Welfare is the Central Authority (CA) in Hong Kong while accredited bodies are authorised to perform designated duties delegated by CA under the accreditation system. Details of the accreditation system and the list of accredited bodies are as below.
| Item / Name | Download File / Link |
|---|---|
| Accreditation System in respect of Intercountry Adoption in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) | PDF / Word |
| Accreditation System in respect of Local Adoption in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) | PDF / Word |
| Code of Practice for Accredited Bodies in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region under the Adoption Ordinance [Chapter 290] (English version) | |
| Guidelines on the Assessment of Application to Advertise Adoption Service in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) | |
| List of Accredited Bodies for Intercountry Adoption in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) | |
| List of Accredited Bodies for Local Adoption in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (English version) |
Service Statistics
- Adoption applications being handled (as at end of December 2023)
| Adoption applications being handled | Number |
|---|---|
| Adoption by local homes | 126 |
| Adoption by overseas homes | 17 |
| Privately arranged adoption e.g. by relatives | 26 |
- Children available for adoption (as at end of December 2023)
| Conditions of Children | Number |
|---|---|
| Normal and healthy | 1 |
| Of relatively complicated family background (e.g. abandoned children, birth parent was drug dependent, etc.) | 18 |
| Children aged 3 or above | 28 |
| With health issues | 6 |
| Disabled | 23 |
| Total | 76 |
(Remarks: For children with more than one conditions, only the major one will be counted for each child to avoid double-counting on the number of children.)