28 Children in Quintana Roo Shelters Are Eligible for Adoption

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Twenty-eight children and adolescents living in state shelters in Quintana Roo have had their legal situations resolved and can now be adopted, while 26 others are still waiting for their cases to clear, according to figures reported this year.

As of November 2025, 328 minors were living in the state’s Social Assistance Centers. Of that total, 302 were in public shelters run by the DIF family services agency and 26 were in private institutions. The Casa Hogar Ciudad de las Niñas, Niños y Adolescentes in Chetumal housed 81 of them. Residents range from newborns to teenagers close to turning 18.

61 Adoptions Formalized Since 2022

According to a November 22, 2025 assessment by the state prosecutor’s office for the protection of children, adolescents and families, 61 adoptions have been completed since 2022: 24 of minors in DIF institutional care and 37 within families. The state government’s fourth annual report, covering July 2025 to June 2026, records 24 full adoption proceedings filed before family courts.

State authorities receive just over 100 adoption applications each year, though not all of them result in a placement. Applicants overwhelmingly prefer babies and children up to age five. Teenagers and sibling groups are the least requested, even though roughly half of the minors who enter shelters arrive with one or more brothers or sisters.

A Process That Can Take Years

Before a child can be adopted, authorities must determine whether any relative is able to take custody, decide whether a safe return to the family is possible, and resolve the legal situation of the biological parents. Only then can a judge issue a ruling declaring the minor eligible for adoption. The process can take months or even years.

In November 2024 the state created a family court specializing in adoption. Benito Juárez, the municipality that includes Cancún, and Playa del Carmen are among the areas where domestic violence, abandonment and extreme poverty most often drive children into shelters.

Minors who are never adopted must leave public institutions when they turn 18. At that point DIF Quintana Roo offers programs to prepare them for independent life, including workshops in the arts, trades and personal finance.