Delays in processing paperwork have left many families across Fiji waiting to adopt children.
Despite this, Justice Minister Siromi Turaga has made the assurance the adoption process would be regularised by June.
Mr Turaga explained that the Adoption Bill, passed in 2020 by the previous government, was never fully implemented, leaving many families in limbo.
“The adoption timeline should be regularised by June,” he said.
“It has already been signed off by the Chief Justice, gone back to the secretary general, and will return as a formal legal copy, printed on legal paper,” he said.
He said backlogs existed and may initially increase once the new system started.
Addressing the cause of the delays, he said the previous government passed the Bill in 2020 but did not implement it.
“We took it upon ourselves to hold discussions and move it forward.”
The delays had frustrated many parents, some of whom have waited for years to adopt.
Regularising the process is critical to giving children stable homes and families the certainty they deserve.
“This is about protecting the rights of children and supporting families,” Mr Turaga said.
Families across Fiji can now be rest assured the new legal framework would finally allow them to complete adoptions without further delay, giving children a chance to get a secure future.
