Parental responsibility after adoption
I am an adopted child and my adoptive parents have maintained a close relationship with my biological parents. Some people say I have been blessed with two sets of parents. They each take care of my needs and share responsibility for my education. What does the law say about parental responsibility after adoption? Please guide me.
RF, Morogoro
It is good to hear that you have people who care for you. The Law of the Child Act [Cap. 12 R.E 2019] (the Act) governs matters of adoption in Mainland Tanzania. According to section 64 of the Act, when an adoption order is made (a) the rights, duties, obligations and liabilities including those under customary law of the parents of the child or any other person connected with the child of any nature whatsoever shall cease; and (b) the adoptive parent of the child shall assume the parental rights, duties, obligations and liabilities of the child with respect to custody, maintenance and education as if the child was born to the adoptive parent in a lawful wedlock and was not the child of any other person.
Therefore, the adoption essentially shifts parental rights and responsibilities from the biological parents to the adoptive parents. The law does not recognise the arrangement of sharing responsibility between adoptive parents and biological parents.