CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVACY
The child, biological parent(s) and the adoptive family have a right to confidentiality.
‘Compassion for Orphans’ treats all case file records as classified documents, and protect their confidentiality.
‘Compassion for Orphans’ ensures that the child or his or her representative has access to such information, under appropriate guidance, in so far as is permitted under New Zealand law and regulations. [Article 30 Hague Convention]
‘Compassion for Orphans’ ensures that personal data gathered or transmitted under the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993) will only be used for the purposes for which they were gathered or transmitted.
[Article 31 Hague Convention]
‘Compassion for Orphans’ obtains from Prospective Adoptive Parents, legal authority to act as their agents specifically in relation to the exchange of personal information between ‘Compassion for Orphans’ and any other party directly related to the intercountry adoption process, e.g. Central Authorities or Social Workers.
‘Compassion for Orphans’ requires Prospective Adoptive Parents to indicate details of any special circumstances of confidentiality, e.g. certain acceptable contact numbers, times or persons.
‘Compassion for Orphans’ advises Prospective Adoptive Parents that Child Youth and Family have the power, under section 22(4) of the Adoption (Intercountry) Act (1997), to examine any documents or records held by ‘Compassion for Orphans’ that relate to the provision by ‘Compassion for Orphans’ of intercountry adoption services.
‘Compassion for Orphans’ observes the requirements of the Privacy Act (1993) (and any legislation in substitution of this Act), the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (1993) and the Adult Adoption Information Act (1985) regarding obtaining consent to the collection, storage, use and release of information. Under the Privacy Act (1993), our clients have the right to access information held about them and to request correction to their personal information.
