ABSTRACT
Procedures in recruiting and selecting adoptive parents and matching their needs with those of children placed for adoption vary by place and constantly change, from being non-existent in some countries to well-meaning but over-elaborate and bureaucratic systems in others, with resulting delays and adverse impact on later family life. The child's needs, chronological and developmental age, timescale and process will vary until the point of meeting their adoptive parents. The adoption panel has been debating for two hours whether to go ahead with the placement of Mike, a four-year-old boy, to a recently approved couple in their early thirties. In several non-Western countries, adoption can take place directly from an institution. What, when and how a child is told at different stages will depend on these factors. Even if it is not mandatory for the country of destination to apply the same policies as for adopting children of their nationality, it is still important to endorse the same standards.
