When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, it not only upended the lives of many people, but it wreaked havoc on children in institutional care. With 105,000 children under its care -- over 1 percent of the country's child population -- Kyiv is struggling to locate nearly 26,000 children that were moved outside of its system.

1

Tanya, 12, who is autistic and does not speak, watches other children play at a facility for people with special needs in Odesa on June 7. Tanya, like nine in 10 of the children under Ukraine's care, is a "social orphan," a child whose parents are unable to care for them or who are denied parental rights under Ukrainian law.

Tanya, seen here interacting with a carer, first entered the Odesa orphanage in 2018 at age 8, after her parents divorced and her mother had a second child. Citing their inability to look after her, Tanya's parents signed away their parental rights.   Poverty is the main reason children are put into institutions. Since 1990, Ukraine's rate of children in institutions has increased almost fourfold, while it was flat or fell in neighboring EU countries.

2

parliament

Canton of Zurich investigates illegal adoptions in Sri Lanka

The canton of Zurich will historically prosecute illegal adoptions from Sri Lanka since the 1970s. The cantonal council on Monday approved a candidacy of the SP, GLP, Greens, Center and EPP for government with 92 votes to 67.

Many adoptions from the 1970s were illegal, especially those from Sri Lanka. The canton of Zürich will now handle complaints historically, as many of these children were taken in by parents in the canton of Zürich.

Theme image: Sandra Ardizzone / LUW

Laura (center) gave up her daughter for adoption three years ago. On the left Mariëlle Kappert, on the right Nicolette Sprenger, rescuers from the Fiom. Statue Maikel Samuels

On average, about 20 women a year give up their child for adoption. One of them tells why she chose this.

Petra VissersSeptember 13, 2022 , 09:45

Anyway, her daughter had to grow up 'safe, stable and steady'. “That is the most important thing for a child's development,” says Laura (24) firmly. So three years ago she gave her girl up for adoption. “I immediately knew: we will not be able to raise her.”

Laura, a tall slender twenties with brown curls, was living with her anti-squat boyfriend four years ago when she turned out to be pregnant. “We had already been told that we had to get out of that house,” she says. “Our lives were restless, we both struggled with our own traumas.”

A sentencing hearing for Pieper Lewis, the teenage sex trafficking victim from Des Moines convicted of killing her alleged rapist, will resume Tuesday morning at the Polk County Courthouse.

Pieper Lewis, now 17, stabbed Zachary Brooks to death in the early hours of June 1, 2020. Brooks, 37, of Des Moines raped Lewis, then 15, five times in the weeks before Lewis killed him after another alleged sexual assault, according to a plea agreement.

A sentencing hearing on Sept. 7 ended before Lewis could give her statement of allocution and before witnesses called by prosecutors finished testifying.

More:A homeless Des Moines teen who killed her alleged rapist faces 20 years in prison. She's a victim, too, her attorneys say.

Polk County Judge David M. Porter presided over the hearing and will determine Lewis' sentence. He could rule from the bench or issue his ruling before her 18th birthday on Sept. 28.

Given the lengthy, uncertain process and decline in adoption, care facilities often have to transition their wards to life without adoption.

Extreme poverty, single parenthood and abuse are some top factors that push parents to give up their children.

At a children’s care facility in Cubao, north of Manila, 18-year-old Mel and her four younger siblings wait to be adopted.

Mel, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is already too old to be adopted. Her only option to join a family is to be adopted along with any, or all, of her four siblings.

It has been five years since Mel and her siblings joined the Gentle Hands children’s home, which also houses many children who have experienced trauma.

Given the lengthy, uncertain process and decline in adoption, care facilities often have to transition their wards to life without adoption.

Extreme poverty, single parenthood and abuse are some top factors that push parents to give up their children.

At a children’s care facility in Cubao, north of Manila, 18-year-old Mel and her four younger siblings wait to be adopted.

Mel, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, is already too old to be adopted. Her only option to join a family is to be adopted along with any, or all, of her four siblings.

It has been five years since Mel and her siblings joined the Gentle Hands children’s home, which also houses many children who have experienced trauma.

Haryana human trafficking case: Police have arrested three people, including two women for trying to sell a nine-day-old baby to a couple. The accused had got the baby from her mother on the promise that they would ensure that she had a bright future. One of the arrested women is part of the Delhi based NGO run by her family.

Faridabad: The Haryana chief minister's flying squad busted a human trafficking racket in Faridabad and arrested three people, including two women in this regard. One of the women arrested is associated with an NGO based in Delhi, which is run by her family.

The arrests were made after the CMs flying squad received intelligence inputs about three people allegedly trying to sell an infant in Badarpur area of Faridabad.

According to the police the intelligence input in this regard was received by the CMs flying squad on September 8. After which two of the squad members posing as a couple got in touch with the accused. After negotiating with them a deal was finalised for Rs 4.5 lakh and they decided to meet in a hotel in Badarpur, Times of India reported.

As per the agreement one of the women arrived at the hotel where the "couple" was waiting. Soon the other woman arrived with the nine-day-old girl. After exchanging sweets, the "couple" handed over the cash to the accused containing marked currency notes.

JANET OGUNDEPO writes about the cartels trafficking in babies

After 31-year-old Chineye Odoh allegedly agreed to sell her newborn twins for about N3m, sadly Odoh was allegedly killed by some women collaborators who purportedly facilitated the process.

The Enugu State Police Command said that the suspects, after selling the twins, gave the mother an amount lesser than what was agreed. They were said to have later poisoned Odoh’s food when she resisted their action.

Upon the arrest of the suspected women by the police in Enugu in August, the women were arraigned in court and the case was adjourned to October 5 for trial.

The Lagos State Police Command on the same day, August 26, reportedly arrested a man for allegedly conspiring with his doctor and a nurse to sell his three-month-old baby for N400,000.

MHB police personnel have been caring for a day-old infant found in a garbage dump, plan for her future as they try to trace parents

A call from the Control Room in the morning of September 5 led MHB Colony police to Shivaji Nagar, Borivli West to find an abandoned newborn at an auto stand, whom they now refer to as “MHB ki beti”. The girl is currently undergoing treatment at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital, Kandivli. The cops, apart from filing a case against unknown people for abandoning the child, have also taken it on themselves to ensure their “beti” gets education and financial support.

A bakery owner near an auto rickshaw stand at Shivaji Nagar had heard the cries of a baby and called the police control room, which in turn relayed the information to MHB police. When cops reached the spot they found the crying newborn wrapped in a white towel. The baby had blood all over and her umbilical cord was also intact.

Assistant Sub-Inspector Shobha Yadav and PSI Vanita Katbane who were deputed on mobile van rushed the baby to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital in Kandivli where she underwent a medical check up which concluded that she was in good health. Police officers now take turns to visit the hospital to check up on her every day.

Looking at the baby, Assistant Inspector Suryakant Pawar decided to take responsibility for the baby’s future education. Other cops have started crowdfunding and the amount will be kept as a fixed deposit in a bank so that she won’t have to suffer in future for money.

In May 2022, Minister Ernst Kuipers (Public Health) wrote to the House of Representatives that he wanted to make IVF surrogacy part of the basic insurance. But that wouldn't apply to everyone.

Ten patient organizations and interest groups are therefore calling on the minister to make IVF surrogacy part of the basic insurance for all family types.

IVF SURROGACY

In his proposal, Kuipers wrote that he wanted to adopt the advice of the National Health Care Institute on the reimbursement of IVF surrogacy. The Zorginstituut recommended expanding the basic package of the Health Insurance Act with IVF surrogacy 'in case the intended mother has a medical indication that means she cannot bear fruit herself, but does have her own eggs'.

The ten organizations, including the Royal Dutch Organization of Midwives (KNOV), Patient Federation Netherlands, COC Netherlands and the Transgender Network Netherlands, believe that this advice does not take into account 'the diversity of family forms in 2022', “because the reimbursement does not apply for everyone".