Adoption is the legal establishment of a parent-child relationship between a child and its new parents. Governed by the Swiss Civil Code, adoption is a subsidiary measure of child protection. It is only possible if the child cannot be reintegrated into his or her extended family, nor if adoption in the child's country of origin cannot be envisaged within the framework of an international adoption (Hague Convention).

Through the procedure, the adopted child obtains the status of a descendant in a family other than his or her own, generally in a social environment considered more favourable (Children's Rights).