History of Adoption in Korea

Chapter 6

The Enactment of National Adoption Day and Improvement of Domestic Adoption Culture

Trend of Domestic and Intercountry Adoption

Promoted adoption of disabled children by increasing support for child-rearing expenses and medical bills for families adopting disabled children
The Minister of Health and Welfare announced at the National Assembly's inspection of state administration as well as in interviews with the press that intercountry adoption will be completely banned in 2010
Introduced a plan to promote domestic adoption first: Intercounty adoption is allowed only if children fail to be adopted within five months after permission for domestic adoption

Major Events

• 2002 Established non-profit private organization KoRoot

• 2005 Enacted National Adoption Day

• Partially revised the enforcement ordinance of the Act on Special Cases Concerning Adoption Promotion and Procedures

• 2006 Presented comprehensive countermeasures to promote domestic adoption

• Established Nest Korea

• 2009 Ended service of Adoption Information Center

• Established Korea Adoption Information Services

Domestic Adoption Vitalization Effort 1 - Comprehensive Countermeasures to Promote Domestic Adoption

• · Background

  The measures to promote domestic adoption (Mar. 30, 2006) had been established before, but the latest measures of Comprehensive Countermeasures to Promote Domestic Adoption included additional plans, such as an adoption holiday system, relief of qualifications for adoptive parents, and a plan to promote domestic adoption first

• · Basic Direction

  Providing family-centered child protection services by promoting domestic adoption
  Enhancing institutional and financial support for adoptive families
  Reinforcing national promotion activities to improve the public perception
  Establishing systems to provide efficient post-adoption services

• · Main Contents

Institutional Support

• · Implemented Adoption Holiday System, such as maternity leave, for psychological adjustment of adoptees and adoptive parents from 2007, starting with public workers (agreed by the Ministry of Security and Public Administration)

• · Adoption agencies implemented a plan to promote domestic adoption first for five months after the child was decided to be adopted (2007)

• · Established and managed the Integrated Management System of Children for Adoption, providing comprehensive information on adoptees for families hoping to adopt

• · Relieved qualifications for adoption: Single and unmarried people were permitted to adopt, the age gap between adoptive parents and children was narrowed from 50 to 60 years, and the regulation limiting the number of children of adoptive parents (currently no more than five) was scheduled to be eliminated

• · Promoted a plan to include adoptive families of disabled children as the beneficiaries of special provision of national housing to stabilize housing for the families (the Ministry of Construction and Transportation)

Improvement of Adoption Culture

• · Promoted a plan to improve adoption culture by eliminating prejudice, encouraging open adoption, and promoting adoption

• · Attracted participation of religious circles and private organizations to promote domestic adoption

Financial Support

• · Adoption Charge Support (KRW 2 million) was intended to lessen the financial burden of adoptive families and improve public awareness of adoption

• · Nurturing Benefit of Adoptees (KRW 100,000 per child a month) was intended to raise adoptees in a healthy and sound environment

• · Reinforced support of child-rearing expenses and medical bills for families adopting disabled children

• · Reinforced support of adoption agencies’ counseling activities

• · Promoted a plan to support child-care expenses (the Ministry of Gender Equality) and nursery expenses (the Ministry of Education) for adopted children

Reinforcement of Post-Adoption Services

• · Established a comprehensive support system to find adoptees’ roots

• · Established Homes for Adoptees, which provides all kinds of information, such as information about Korean culture and jobs, as well as long-term or short-term accommodations, for intercountry adoptees while they stay in Korea

• · Expanded services for intercountry adoptees, such as Korean language education, Korean culture experiences, and employment counseling services

Domestic Adoption Vitalization Effort 2 – The Enactment of National Adoption Day in 2005

To establish a healthy adoption culture and promote domestic adoption, the Ministry of Health and Welfare designated May 11th as the National Adoption Day, indicating that one family (1) adopts one child (1) in the Family Month of May to become a new healthy family (1+1). The week starting from the National Adoption Day was designated as Adoption Week. The government and local organizations have been carrying out appropriate events, starting in 2006. The government, adoption agencies, and organizations are carrying out projects of adoption policy establishment, adoption survey and research, post-adoption management, adoption and family support, and education and promotion of adoption to encourage adoption of children with special needs and enable smooth adjustment of family life after adoption. They are also supporting the emotions of adoptive families by providing adoptive family gatherings, camps, and contests, while also promoting adoption through broadcast, newspaper, internet, and pamphlets.