|  ElCiudadano.cl |  Noticias

El Ciudadano

Original article: Gobierno de Kast frena la nueva Ley de Adopción tras retirar su reglamento de Contraloría

The decision halts a reform that took 12 years in Congress and aimed to expedite pending processes.

On Monday, March 30, the Ministry of Social Development and Family officially withdrew the regulatory decree for Law 21.760 from the Comptroller General of the Republic, indefinitely suspending the implementation of the legislation approved in mid-2025. This action, taken just months before the law was set to take effect, leaves the new regulations intended to modernize a system plagued by waits exceeding six years in legal limbo.

From La Moneda, Minister María Jesús Wulf dismissed the notion that this action represents a setback, arguing that the goal is to update protocols to advance the country with greater seriousness. According to the government, the ability to withdraw regulations is a standard administrative tool for new administrations looking to put their own stamp on public policy execution.

However, this administrative pause also halts deep structural changes, such as removing the priority given to married couples over single individuals or civil partners. The new law stipulates that all types of families deemed suitable can adopt under equal conditions, focusing solely on identifying the candidate that best meets the specific needs of each child.

Another key pillar that is now on hold is the drastic reduction of family reunification timelines, setting a maximum of 12 months to determine whether a minor can return to their birth family. Currently, this process can extend for nearly a decade, condemning many children to grow up in institutional residences or foster families without a definitive solution for their permanent care.

Deputy Emilia Schneider reacted sharply to the news, linking the decision to ideological resistance from the current administration. «It is unacceptable to delay such significant processes, especially for infants, children, and adolescents in Chile,» said the parliamentarian, raising questions about whether «they want to postpone it due to their conservative biases?» For Schneider, given that this law has already been approved, its implementation should be an immediate priority.

The uncertainty now extends to hundreds of families and minors who were awaiting the new legal framework to implement more agile and humane adoption processes. While Subsecretary for Children Marcelo Sánchez assures that the regulations will be reintroduced within two weeks, this administrative halt puts a brake on a law aimed at doubling annual adoptions in the country.

The delay in this political will directly impacts those who cannot afford to wait any longer for an efficient bureaucracy to exercise their right to live in a family.

La entrada Kast Administration Halts New Adoption Law by Withdrawing Regulatory Framework se publicó primero en El Ciudadano.