For many Indian orphans, placement in the West is the only chance of a life with a family. But couples willing to adopt must sometimes wage a grueling battle against bureaucracy

© Andrea Schuhmacher
 

The one-year-old sits up in her crib with wide eyes. The girl is much too thin and too small for her age

Jegan shyly points to the crumpled photo in his brown hand. Then he whispers: "Dad, Mum." The man in the picture is holding a blonde woman in his arms. The little Indian's finger continues to wander across the paper: a laughing boy and a girl with cheeky braids are steering a white motorboat. Jegan looks questioningly out from under his jet-black fringe of hair. "Brother," Sister Paulina interjects: "Brother and Sister."

The six-year-old speaks Tamil, he can barely speak English and not at all in German. He could have learned his first words of Swabian months ago if it weren't for the bureaucratic hurdles: Monika and Ulrich Kippelt from Alfdorf in Stuttgart have been fighting to adopt the Indian orphan since September 2003. The story of Jegan and his new parents is a drama with great emotions, disappointments and hopes and an uncertain ending. It shows how difficult international adoptions are - and how important.

Social Committee 2023-24
SOU Alm. part Annex 290
Public
 

Families who spent years in limbo have had their hopes dashed, and some analysts fear disabled children may never get to enjoy family life

China’s abrupt decision to ban international adoptions last month appears to have crushed the dreams of hundreds of foreign families and possibly ended the last chance many Chinese children would have had of a family life.

“You’re losing a kid even though you didn’t give birth to them and you haven’t even met them,” said Kathy Rice, one of the affected would-be parents. “But they’ve been part of our family all this time and all of a sudden we’re losing them.”

Rice had been waiting for five years to adopt Ruby, a teenager with Down’s syndrome, and bring her home to Michigan.

Updated 07 Oct. 2024 AT 1:26 PM

The black car slows down and stops in front of a low brick house.

The house's brown front doors are open, but Natalie Montaño (35) stays inside the car.

Right now, she is regretting the Facebook post she made three years ago. The post that has led her from Oslo to this house in Colombia.

The body feels numb. Disconnected, like a shell.

South Korea adoptees endure emotional, sometimes devastating searches for their birth families

SEOUL — They began a pilgrimage that thousands before them have done. They boarded long flights to their motherland, South Korea, to undertake an emotional, often frustrating, sometimes devastating search for their birth families.

South Korea adoptees endure emotional, sometimes devastating searches for their birth families

These adoptees are among the 200,000 sent away from Korea to Western nations as children. Many have grown up, searched for their origin story and discovered that their adoption paperwork was inaccurate or fabricated. They have only breadcrumbs to go on: grainy baby photos, names of orphanages and adoption agencies, the towns where they were said to have been abandoned. They don’t speak the language. They’re unfamiliar with the culture. Some never learn their truth.

The Thurgau GLP has asked the government council for more information on adoptions of Indian children between 1973 and 2002. In a motion, the party is asking, among other things, what support the canton offers those affected.

The background to the GLP's request is a recently presented study on illegal adoptions in the cantons of Thurgau and Zurich. The study on the practice of adoptions from India revealed serious misconduct, as the GLP Thurgau wrote in a statement on the submitted request. Adoptions have also become a business model.

Adoptions approved despite missing documents

A story of being chosen: an adoptees journey to empowerment and her parents dual adoption - join us for a special conversation with Rati Dhoundiyal Ahuja, a remarkable woman who was adopted as a baby in the 1970s and grew up in a loving family in South Mumbai. She’ll be sharing her unique adoption journey, how her parents helped other couples adopt, and how she proudly embraced her story despite societal questions. In this live session, we’ll discuss her experiences of: - Growing up with an adopted sibling who faced emotional challenges. - How she openly shared her adoption story with her son at 16. - Why she believes normalizing adoption is essential and how we can encourage others to embrace it, just like "paw parents" do with adopted pets. Her story is an inspiring testament to the power of love, family, and the importance of open conversations around adoption. Don’t miss this insightful and heartfelt discussion! Tune in live on 28th September 2024 at 5 pm IST Let’s continue the conversation on normalizing adoption and embracing these beautiful journeys with pride!

A shocking case has come to light that a blind couple from Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka was duped and given their newborn baby to a couple from Chhattisgarh state without any information.

A shocking case has come to light that a blind couple from Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka was duped and their newborn baby was mutually adopted by a couple from Chhattisgarh state without informing them of any form. After the blind couple complained in this matter, after the intervention on behalf of the District Women and Child Development Department, a case was registered in Khadakpada Police Station against the doctor Anurag Dhoni, who runs the Ganpati Nursing Home Nave Clinic in Mohne, for carrying out the procedure of child adoption illegally and the doctor has been arrested.

A blind couple lives in Mohana Golegaon in Kalyan taluka. The couple has two children, a boy and a girl. As the blind woman became pregnant again for the third time, she went to the Ganpati Nursing Home in the village for a check-up by Dr. Anurag Dhoni. He told Dr. Dhoni that he did not want this baby this time. But now you are three months pregnant and doctor Dhoni told the blind couple that you cannot have an abortion. But after you give birth to this baby, interested parents of my acquaintance can adopt. In return, said parents will help you with all your hospital expenses and money for both your children's education. Not knowing the legal process, the blind couple gave their consent. But after delivery last month, without communicating with the blind couple, Dr. Dhoni gave the baby directly to a couple named Kaur from Chhattisgarh. After this, when the concerned blind couple asked about financial assistance and hospital expenses, the doctor categorically refused to give it. So give us back our baby, we will take care of him. But the doctor refused to deliver the baby.

When the neighboring family of the blind couple came to know about this whole situation, with their help, the baby was taken back to the blind parents after one to two weeks. After this, as soon as the District Women and Child Development Department came to know about this, they intervened and started taking action against the doctor. Against this background, a case has been registered against Dr. Anurag Dhoni for illegally adopting a baby in Khadakpada police station and he has been arrested. So it is very likely that he has cheated some people in the same way before.

After cheating the blind couple, Dr. Anurag Dhoni gave birth control pills to the concerned blind woman after giving birth. Due to this, strict action is being taken against the doctor who did such a shocking and reprehensible act and the matter is being investigated more thoroughly, said District Women Child Development Officer Mahendra Gaikwad.

As a teenager, Yaneth Menger already thought that her adoptive parents were hiding details about her origins. She now has indications that a lot of money was paid for her adoption. On Tuesday, her adoptive parents had to give a statement about it in court.

ZYaneth Menger (50) has not seen her adoptive father for even years. On Tuesday morning she meets him again for the first time, at the Noord-Nederland court in Leeuwarden. It is not a warm reunion, but a business meeting: the 76-year-old man, who walks behind a walker, has to testify under oath about Yaneth's adoption. Just like his ex-wife.

It is a rare occurrence: Dutch adoptive parents who have to answer to their daughter or son in the witness box for decisions made long ago, with what they see as nothing but good intentions.

About the author
Menno van Dongen is a police and justice reporter for the Volkskrant.

The hearing is part of a trend. Adult adoptees who were brought to this country as children are standing up for themselves more. They give critical interviews, request documents from the government, file petitions and file lawsuits against the state, agencies or their adoptive parents.

Hyderabad: Justice Surepalli Nanda of the Telangana High Court allowed a batch of writ petitions challenging the actions of the Child Welfare Committee (CWC), the state directorate of women development and child welfare department and others in taking forcible custody of adopted minor children. The judge was dealing with a batch of writ petitions filed by several adoptive parents, alleging illegality on the part of the respondent authorities in forcibly taking away adopted children. The petitioners complained that the actions of the respondents were arbitrary and in violation of the Constitution. Counsels for the respondent authorities stated that investigation was undertaken pursuant to receiving a report from an individual alleging sale of children in the name of adoption. Counsel for the respondents relied upon Section 31 of the Juvenile Justice Act, and stated that the police authorities were authorised to produce the child in need of care and protection before the CWC. The judge observed that the Act authorised custody only of children in need and care; in the present batch, the children were adopted by persons capable of giving them a good life. In view of the same, the judge allowed the writ petitions and ordered that the custody of the adopted children be restored to the respective adoptive parents