Introduction
The conditions to be an eligible child adoption applicant in Cameroon is regulated by the Civil code of Cameroon under the Section 344 of the Code Civil Camerounaise and Loi n° 2022/01 du 21 février 2022 of the civil law jurisdiction of Cameroon and Section 47(2) of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 under the common law jurisdiction of Cameroon.
Who is a Child Adoption Applicant in Cameroon?
A child adoption applicant in Cameroon is a prospective adoptive parent who has formally applied to adopt a child but has not yet been placed with a child for adoption in Cameroon. The applicant can be single individuals, married couples, or unmarried partners, and must go through an assessment process to ensure they can provide a stable and nurturing home for a child.
Is Residence a Condition Sine Qua Non for an Eligible Adoption Applicant in Cameroon?
Yes, residence is one of the prerequisite conditions an applicant needs to prove he has a proper accommodation to ensure that the child to be adopted will have favourable living conditions for proper upkeep and growth.
CONDITIONS TO BE AN ELIGIBLE CHILD ADOPTION APPLICANT IN THE COMMON LAW JURISDICTION OF CAMEROON
The conditions for an eligible adoption applicant under the common law jurisdiction of Cameroon are as follows;
- Be 40 years and above for a single adoptive parent
- Be married for over 10 years as a couple.
- Be physically and medically fit
- Have a proper means of income to guarantee upkeep of the child
- Have a decent place of abode for the child to live in.
- Have a decent standard of morality
- Have a clean criminal record.
These conditions are verified by the use of documents and the expertise of a family law attorney, a social welfare worker and the court
CONDITIONS TO BE AN ELIGIBLE CHILD ADOPTION APPLICANT IN THE CIVIL LAW JURISDICTION OF CAMEROON
- CASES OF SIMPLE ADOPTION
- Spouses
- Spouses not legally separated, at least one of whom must be over 35 years of age (Law No. 84/4 of 04/07/84);
- Adopters must be 15 years older than the people they intend to adopt (Law No. 84/4 of 04/07/84);
- the spouses must have been married for more than ten (10) years and not have had any living children from their marriage (law no. 84/4 of 04/07/84) + Cameroonian civil code art. 344;
- Adopters must provide moral, emotional, and material guarantees.
- People Living Alone (single, divorced, widowed)
- Adopters must be 15 years older than the people they intend to adopt (Law No. 84/4 of 04/07/84);
- Adopters must be at least 40 years old at the time of their adoption;
- Adopters must provide moral, emotional, and material guarantees.
- CASES OF FULL ADOPTION FOR FOREIGNERS
- Spouses
- Spouses not legally separated, at least one of whom must be over 35 years of age (Law No. 84/4 of 04/084);
- Adoptive parents must be 15 years older than the persons they intend to adopt (Law 84/4 of 04/07/84);
- Spouses must have been married for more than ten (10) years and must not have had any living children from their marriage (Law No. 84/4 and the Cameroonian Civil Code).
- Adopters must provide moral, emotional, and material guarantees.
- People Living Alone (single, divorced, widowed)
- Adopters must be 15 years older than the people they intend to adopt (Law No. 84/4 of 04/07/84);
- Adopters must be at least 40 years old at the time of their adoption;
- Adopters must provide moral, emotional, and material guarantees.
SUBSEQUENT CONDITIONS OF AN ADOPTER WHICH MAKE A CHILD ADOPTION ORDER IN CAMEROON REVOCABLE
Revocation of an adoption in Cameroon is a legal process that undoes the adoption, often requiring a court order and specific legal grounds like fraud or severe hardship. Some of the reasons for the revocation of an adoption order due to changes in the conditions of the adopter are as follows:
- Misrepresentation of Facts: When it is brought to the attention of the courts that the applicant gave wrongful information or document(s), the court has the right to revoke the adoption order already granted on the basis of fraud.
- Commission of Crime: When the adoptive parent subsequently engages into criminal activities, this will affect the interest of the adopted child and under such circumstances, the court has the right to revoke the adoption order.
- Bankruptcy: One of the reasons for the grant of an adoption order in Cameroon is to guarantee the upkeep of the adopted child. When the adoptive parent eventually becomes bankrupt, the court can revoke the adoption order.
- Immoral Behaviour of the Adopter: A proper living condition ensures the stability and upkeep of the adopted child. When the adoptive parent eventually engages in immoral behaviour such as drug abuse and sexual exploitation, the adopted child can suffer from trauma as a result. Under such circumstances, the courts in Cameroon can revoke the adoption order.