New adoption law limits time children stay in care
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on the 3rd of August 2009, sanctioned a new Adoption Law. With the new rules, children and teenagers cannot be in care or in shelters for longer than two years, only if authorised expressly by the Courts. Shelters need to be within proximity of the child’s family.
Now, everyone over the age of 18, even if they are single, are eligible to adopt a child or teenager. The only restriction is that the person adopting is at least sixteen years older than the child.
Couples that want to adopt a child need to be legally married or maintain a stable civil union. Adoption for same sex couples is not permitted. To read the rest of this article click here
This information was taken from the law Nº 12.010 sanctioned by the President of the Republic as registered in the Diário Oficial da União.
New volunteer house built for Criança do Brasil
A new volunteer house has been built in Morro do Paraiso in Lote XV in Duque da Caxias to support the volunteer program of Criança do Brasil. The work of the volunteers includes reinforcement classes after school, language classes, supporting the teachers in the creche projects as well as bringing various children in the community to and from school.
The volunteers are an integral part of the work done by Criança do Brasil and are invaluable in terms of the work they are doing in the local community. The volunteers now live in the middle of the community of Morro do Paraiso, always on hand to help out with a wide variety of needs of the project.
Homeless Child believes that no child should live in poverty. Every day, children die on the streets in Rio de Janeiro from crack addiction, violence and abuse. Our charity makes a real difference in the lives of Rio's street children. 
