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Rahet Bally is every mother’s support system. Since November is Adoption Awareness Month, we are on a mission to support mothers who want to adopt little angels. They need all the support and care we could offer in such a challenging mission. I believe that although Islamic adoption (Kafala) is a noble self-rewarding act, it is not an easy step. Adopting mothers and adopted kids will always need psychological support, acceptance, and inclusion.
Since multiple stories have been shared lately of women willing to take the step, there is a lot of technicalities that need to be clear. In this article, we include a step-by-step guide for the process of Islamic adoption (Kafala) in Egypt, as well as the conditions, and required paperwork.
Conditions of Islamic adoption (Kafala) for families and single women
- Single women should not be younger than 30 years old and have a fixed income and home. Married couples should not be younger than 21 years old and not older than 60 years old. Age limits are subjected to exceptions by the assigned committee based on the conducted social research.
- The religion of the family should be the same as that of the child.
- The parents or at least one of them should be Egyptian.
- For families, the family has to consist of a couple that has been married for not less than three years. The assigned committee has the authority to exempt the family from this condition in case they proved the permanent sterility of one of the partners.
- In case of the death of the alternative mother, the alternative father can temporarily take care of the child if permitted by the Higher Committee of Alternative Families.
- The couple has to be morally and socially mature and has the needed awareness for the child’s needs.
- The family shouldn’t have more than two biological kids unless they reached a self-independence state.
- The place of residence should be a good environment accessible to educational, medical, religious, and sports institutions. Allocating a separate room for the child is not a mandatory condition.
- The family should have a good health condition.
- The spouses should at least have a secondary certificate degree or any equivalent one. This condition can be excluded according to the social research.
- The family should have the time to take care of the adopted child.
- The family should pass the training course organized by the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
- The family should commit to facilitating the mission of the Ministry of Social Solidarity, the Higher Committee of Alternative Families, the Family and Child Department, or the assigned civil associations and institutions of supervision and field visits.
- The family has to accept the supervision of the Family and Child Department’s representatives of the Ministry of Social Solidarity. Supervision includes visiting the family’s house, meeting the adopted child, and following up on his/her state without violating their privacy.
- The family should not give the child to his/her biological parents or any other person without getting back to the Family and Child Department.
- The family has to cooperate with the Family and Child Department while setting plans regarding the child in case he/she will be adopted by another family or will be returned to his/her social institution.
- The family is committed to informing the Family and Child Department of any changes in their marital status, place of residence, and any changes that happen to the child as joining school or work, planning an escape, death, or marriage of girls.
- The family can travel abroad in the company of the child or without him/her after obtaining written permission from the Family and Child Department at the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
- The adopted child can take the alternative family’s name and the father or the mother’s first names. They should be added to his/her real name.
- The family must preserve the lineage of the child.
Procedure of kafala in Egypt:
- Apply online or at the affiliate social affairs directorate according to your residential location.
- The directorate will get back to you within 30 days.
- In case of no response after 30 days, you have to go to the directorate or call the complaints hotline, 19828.
- The required documents, mentioned below, have to be submitted to the directorate. A home visit date is set by the directorate’s representative to conduct social research, check the documents, and confirm the decision. For couples, both of them have to be present at the time of the visit.
- A committee checks the documents and the research for a final decision.
- Finally, the family receives an official letter to choose the adopted child. They open a bank account under the name of the child with EGP 3000 at the Egypt Post or Nasser Bank. A contract is signed by the family and the Social Affairs Directorate signed in the presence of two witnesses. The two witnesses have to be employees in the public or the private sector.
The needed documents for Islamic adoption (Kafala)
- National ID copy
- Criminal records certificate
- Graduation certificate copies
- HR letter from the workplace or a document of the monthly income
- Virus B and C tests
- Two or four personal photos
- Owned or rented house contract
- Copies of gas and electricity bills
- Copies of biological children birth certificates (if any)
- Marriage certificate
Further reading:
- Breastfeeding Your Adopted Baby Is Possible
- Kafala In Egypt Founder Devastated For Abandoned Adopted Child
Rahet Bally is every mother’s support system, join the biggest community of moms in Egypt, save on your daily motherhood expenses with our Rahet Bally Discount Card, and get back in shape and eat clean with our tailored Rahet Bally’s Motherhood Fitness & Nutrition Program.
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