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Page URL: https://practice.orangatamariki.govt.nz/our-work/adoption/facilitating-an-adoption-placement/consenting-to-adoption/
Printed: 06/12/2024
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Last updated: 11/09/2020

Consenting to adoption

The birthparents have the legal right to consent to the adoption of their tamaiti. They must understand the effects of adoption so that their consent is fully informed and freely given.

Upcoming changes for this guidance

This content will be strengthened so it more completely reflects our commitment to practice framed by te Tiriti o Waitangi, based on a mana-enhancing paradigm for practice, and drawing from ​Te Ao Māori principles of oranga to support mana tamaiti, whakapapa and whanaungatanga. We each need to consider how we can apply these principles to our practice when reading this guidance. The following resources provide support:
Practice for working effectively with Māori
Our practice approach

The social worker's role

Where the parties to the adoption have been brought together by Oranga Tamariki, before the signing of consent, we must provide the solicitor preparing the consent with all the relevant information.

We provide this information in writing to the solicitors for both parties – the birthparents and the adoptive applicants. Each solicitor will ultimately need to know all the information for the consent and the application to court. They can then contact each other to determine who will draw up the consent forms – frequently, but not necessarily, the applicants’ solicitor.

We need to make sure both solicitors are aware of the social worker’s need to know that the consent has been given before we can issue the social worker's placement approval.

Where we have any reason to be concerned about a birthparent’s ability to understand the implications of signing their consent or there is any question of duress on the birthparents or any other constraint on providing a freely given and informed consent, we should raise this with our supervisor and consider whether we need to convey these concerns to the solicitor who is planning to witness the consent.

Adoption placement details for solicitors (DOCX 18 KB)