Ecuador Parliament Advances Adoption Reform to Speed Up Child Placements

Ecuador’s National Assembly moved forward with a draft law to accelerate adoption procedures. The Commission of Transparency and Citizen Participation approved the report for a second debate on the Organic Law of Judicial Acceleration for Adoption, a motion presented by Assembly member Edmundo Cerda (Pachakutik). The proposal sets strict deadlines for each stage: the Technical Adoption Unit must issue its report within 10 days after interviews and home visits; a report on the child’s situation must be issued within 45 days of the adoptability declaration; the suitability decision for prospective adoptive families must be rendered within 45 days of registration; the placement process cannot exceed 40 days from acceptance; and the civil registry must record the adoption within three days. The draft also requires a single judge to oversee the entire case, digital filing of the judicial file, and sanctions for unjustified delays. Commission chair Diana Jácome (ADN) said the aim is to reduce the time children wait to join families.