Adoption Dissolution: Data Mapping in the State of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

Adoption is understood in the Brazilian context as an exceptional and irrevocable act. Statistical data show numbers of adoptions, but there are no official statistics on the return of children/adolescents to institutional care after adoption, even though research indicates the occurrence of the phenomenon. This study sought to map the occurrence of adoption dissolution in Rio Grande do Sul between 2018 and 2020. This is descriptive and documental analysis research on eight processes in which children/adolescents returned to institutional care after the legalization of adoption. Data were made available by the CIJ-RS, referring to all reported cases. Descriptive analyses were performed to map the characteristics of the cases. The results showed non-compliance with what is provided for in the legislation in different areas, especially in the referrals given after adoption dissolution. Further studies on adoption dissolution at the national level are suggested.