Khaberni - The UAE government issued Federal Decree-Law No. (12) for the year 2025, amending some provisions of the law concerning children of unknown parentage, allowing families and resident women to foster children of unknown parentage under specific conditions.
The issuance of the decree-law is in line with the UAE's approach to developing legislation related to child protection and empowerment, keeping pace with societal changes and ensuring a stable and safe family environment that meets the psychological, educational, health, and social needs of the child. The decree-law reflects the UAE's direction towards building an integrated and advanced system to ensure comprehensive care for children of unknown parentage, protect their rights, and ensure they have a safe family environment, enhance their positive integration into society, and protect their privacy and preserve their identity.
The amendments confirm that custody is granted to families residing in the UAE under specific conditions, primarily that the application must be submitted by both spouses together and that neither of them is under 25 years old, ensuring maturity, responsibility, and the ability to provide necessary care within a stable and safe family environment.
The amendments also refer to the executive regulation to define standards and controls for residency within the country, ensuring that the fostering family's environment is consistent with the approved standards and provides the highest levels of care for the foster child. The decree-law establishes a comprehensive framework regulating the role of the fostering family and its responsibilities in care, education, health supervision, and psychological support, and it mandates clear rules that protect the child's interest and ensure the preservation of their privacy and identity.
In the context of expanding custody options in the best interest of the child and in line with the state's direction to support the social role of women and enhance their participation in the family care system, the amendments allow resident women in the country to foster children of unknown parentage under specific conditions. These include residency inside the country, being at least 30 years old, in addition to being financially capable of supporting herself and the fostered child, thus ensuring the best conditions for care and giving qualified women the opportunity to perform their social and humanitarian role.
The amendments also include clear mechanisms for regular monitoring and evaluation, whether for fostering families or fostering women, through a specialized committee that ensures quality and continuity of care, enhances the responsibility of the family and woman towards the child, and ensures that the fostering environment is consistent with approved standards, thus achieving the best interest of the foster child and maintaining their stability and balanced development.
If any of the custody conditions are lost or obligations stipulated in the decree-law violated, the amendments authorize the withdrawal of the fostered child from the family or the fostering woman to ensure the protection of the child and maintain their safety and rights.
The amendments also grant the competent committee the authority to establish a corrective plan in case of non-serious breaches, obligating the family or fostering woman to implement it according to the defined rules, conditions, and time frames, thus ensuring the continued care of the child in a safe and stable environment that meets their needs and supports their healthy development.
