Baku:Amendments have been approved by a decree of President Ilham Aliyev to the 'Rules for the Adoption of Children Deprived of Parental Care, including the Adoption of Children Who Are Citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan by Foreigners and Stateless Persons.'

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, These changes involve the procedure for matching prospective adoptive parents with children in need of care, as well as organizing meetings between them. Under the new rules, a prospective adoptive parent must meet the child at the institution for at least 20 hours over one month to establish a connection if deemed suitable. For children under the age of three, this period may be reduced to six hours over 10 days based on a social worker's report.

The social worker's role includes observing the prospective adoptive parent for no less than 10 hours during the stipulated period and providing an opinion on the meetings within three working days after the period concludes. This opinion is then entered into the relevant system.

Previously, the requirements were more extensive, with a minimum meeting time of 40 hours per month over two months. For children under one year, the earlier rules allowed a reduction to 12 hours over 20 days following a social worker's evaluation. The social worker previously observed the prospective adoptive parent for at least eight hours each month during the required periods.