Ecuador adoption law faces criticism for discriminatory provisions

A new adoption law in Ecuador, the Reform Law of Various Legal Bodies for the Streamlining of Adoption, has entered into force, drawing criticism from Human Rights Watch for discriminatory provisions. While the law aims to expedite adoption processes and reduce the time children spend in institutional care, it explicitly bars single lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals from adopting.

Human Rights Watch reported that the legislation threatens the parental rights of parents of transgender children, stating that promoting gender-affirming medical care for a child can be grounds for the loss of parental rights. Although marriage equality is legal in Ecuador, the Constitution currently prohibits same-sex couples from adopting; this new law expands that restriction by requiring single adopters to be heterosexual.

The National Assembly approved the law on July 28 with 118 votes in favor and 25 abstentions. President Daniel Noboa communicated his approval to the legislature on August 13, and the law officially took effect on August 14, 2026.