The latest government data says approximately 60% of couples going for adoption in the Thane district have shown an inclination towards a girl child. We can see this as a big shift in the orthodox Indian mindset that preferred a male child to carry a family legacy. While international celebrities such as Mandira Bedi, Sushmita Sen, Raveena Tandon and Sunny Leone, have adopted girls, parents from the Thane district, too, are increasingly opting for adopting daughters.

Aditi Vinay who adopted two daughters said, “Becoming a parent is a lifelong assurance. If you don’t already have kids, be sure you are ready for all that is involved with adoption. If you do have kids, be sure you have the time and the space to care for another child. The number of homeless children will decrease to zero if each family adopts one child.”

Five-year data compiled by the Thane district women and child welfare department and accessed by Times of India shows that of the 213 child adoptions registered and executed since 2016, around 122, or roughly 60%, were for a girl child. Social workers engaged in counselling prospective adoptive parents said a majority of couples, including those who are childless or already have boys in their families, preferred a daughter believing that girls are more likely to settle in easily with the family and look after them when they’re old. Officials also said there were almost negligible cases of adopted girls being returned over not being able to bond with their foster families.

CARA CEO, Lt. Col. Deepak Kumar, said Indian couples desired girls for adoption. If 10,000 people want to adopt boys, there are 15,000 who want to adopt girls”.

Child rights activists claim that more girls are available for adoption, and subsequently, more girls are being adopted. Nothing much has changed in society.

The Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs,

Considering the international convention on the rights of the child of November 20, 1989;

Having regard to the Hague Convention of 29 May 1993 on the protection of children and cooperation in respect of international adoption;

Considering the code of social action and families , in particular its article R. 148-10,

Stops:

Specialist support and counselling is to be set up to help families affected by historical forced adoption.

The Scottish Government has pledged funding of around £145,000 to help women who were forced to give up their children, as well as the fathers and children involved in the distressing practice.

Peer support groups will also be established and research commissioned to look at how existing support can be improved.

The move comes as a fresh appeal is made for those affected by the process to share their experiences on a dedicated government webpage and questionnaire.

Children’s minister Clare Haughey said: “Tragically, in the past there were practices which resulted in some women feeling forced to give up their children. I offer my sincere sympathies to all those whose lives were profoundly changed as a result.

Ahmedabad: In November 2019, city police found a child abandoned on the streets. Two-and-a-half years later, he got the love of parents with a couple from Malta adopting him. The adoption ceremony of Sagar, christened ‘Jack’ by his parents, was held at the Shishu Gruh in Paldi on Saturday.

Some of those at the event were Pradip Parmar, state social justice and empowerment minister, Jagruti Pandya, chairperson of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, and R S Patel, secretary of Sardar Patel Memorial.

Speaking to TOI, the emotional parents said this was a dream come true for them. The couple – Canmelo and Chanlene Abdilla, a businessman and teacher, respectively – were waiting for the adoption process to end for nearly two years. “It was the experience of some of our relatives that motivated us to adopt a child from India. We were in touch with the authorities and were talking to Jack regularly through video calls,” said Chanlene. “We have prepared a special room for him and have also started preparations for his admission in the September intake.”

Ritesh Dave, superintendent of Shishu Gruh, said the child had hearing issues, which were treated during his stay at the facility. “This is our fourth international adoption this year. We get 35-odd children every year of whom the majority get adopted,” he said.

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Adopted children are at greater risk of developmental and attachment disorders than unadopted children. This is the result of a new study by the German Youth Institute in Munich. In addition, there are too few counseling services for affected families.

Fewer and fewer people in Germany are adopting a child. The numbers have halved in recent years. In 2020, for example, 3,600 children were adopted, two thirds of them are stepchildren or children further away, only one third are strangers' children.

Nobody knows exactly why the numbers are declining. It is assumed that it is due to the ever-improving reproductive medicine that couples are still able to fulfill their desire to have children. In addition, there are high hurdles for couples who would like to adopt a child. So far there has been little research on the subject of adoptive families in Germany.

About the article: "'Become a foster parent!': The very special bread bag"

Largest survey of German adoptive families to date

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. (KUSA) – A Colorado family had nearly completed adopting three Ukrainian sisters. But then Russia invaded the country, bringing the process to a halt.

Now, the family doesn’t know when they’ll be able to bring the girls home.

Amy Martin said the adoption paperwork can be overwhelming.

“These are the initial applications, the immigrant forms, all the dossier documents, the home study documents,” she said. “It’s just a lot.”

But Martin said it’s all worth it to adopt the three girls from Ukraine. Her family hosted them at their home in Castle Rock, Colorado, during Christmas.

The Prime Minister invites to an event on the occasion of an apology to the six survivors of the 22 Greenlandic children who were sent to Denmark in 1951

On 8 December 2020, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen gave a written apology to the six surviving children of the 22 Greenlandic children who were sent to Denmark in 1951. The children became part of an experiment that had major human consequences.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen is now inviting the six survivors to an official apology event together with Greenland's two members of the Folketing as well as representatives from the Danish Red Cross and Save the Children.

Chairman of the Naalakkersuisut Múte B. Egede also participates in the event.

The event will take place at the National Museum on Wednesday 9 March 2022 at 14-16.

ST. LOUIS — Serge Zevlever was often known as a protector.

He took on the role when he fled with his family to the St. Louis area from the Soviet Union some 30 years ago to become a U.S. citizen. He did it again when he worked long hours as a taxi driver and pizza delivery man here to bring even more relatives to the U.S.

Zevlever would protect even more in his decadeslong work as a central figure in adoptions of the neediest Ukrainian children to U.S. families. He would split his time between the St. Louis area and Ukraine, helping hundreds of children with medical needs out of orphanages and into welcoming homes.

Serge Zevlever

Serge Zevlever. Photo courtesy of Nicole Zevlever

Three brothers in Ukraine set to be adopted by a family in Florida have been separated as the attacks from Russia continue to escalate.

A full week has passed since Russia initially launched an invasion into Ukraine, and attacks in both bigger cities and smaller villages across the country have been shellshocked as Russian forces continue to invade.

Three brothers are set to be adopted by Aaron and Breanna Andrews in Clermont, Florida, and Breanna told local news station WFTV that 9-year-old Daniil, the eldest, was moved west to a safer area of Ukraine, separated from his two younger brothers.

"We're very happy that he's moving to safety. I mean, that's our goal. We want that for all three of them, though," Breanna Andrews said.

CCAI Adoption Services' Judy Winger told WFTV that they have 45 families waiting to adopt nearly 81 children, but because of the current climate, there are concerns about limited resources, and communication has been erratic at best.

They say Serge Zevlever founded Hand of Help in Adoption to help find children in Ukrainian orphanages homes, including children with special needs.

The families say the adoption agency notified them Zevlever was killed several days ago while fighting for his country. They say his daughter said he was killed during a sniper attack on Ukraine.

Zevlever was more than an adoption facilitator or liaison for these families. They say he instantly became family to them when they began the adoption process.

"A big Ukrainian male with a small Ukrainian accent, but a huge heart. He was an absolute teddy bear," Christian Miller said.

Megan and Christian Miller had five biological children and a sixth on the way when they decided to adopt.