Home

High Court asks Delhi Police to set up taskforce

Harish V Nair, Hindustan Times

New Delhi, March 17, 2011

Email to Author

First Published: 00:30 IST(17/3/2011)

Countries: India

L'ambassadeur français des adoptions s'inspire des Américains

Informal translation:

The French ambassador adoptions being inspired by Americans

Jean-Paul Monchau, France's ambassador in charge of international adoptions has met his U.S. counterpart in Washington.

Anaïs Digonnet
March 17, 2011
Traveling to Washington and Atlanta in late February, Jean-Paul Monchau, France's ambassador in charge of international adoptions has met his U.S. counterpart and a specialized service provider. Objective: To follow the example of professionalism in American adoptions.

I first went to Washington where I met my counterpart, Ambassador Susan Jacobs, who handles matters relating to child protection and international adoptions. It is important to exchange information on adoption procedures in place for example. In Atlanta, I met members of the organization Illien Adoptions International, which, in some cases, does adoption of American children to foreign countries.

Is this the case with France?

What they call "outgoing adoptions" in the direction of France, was one element of our conversation. The world moves. There are French or Franco-American families who could, in some cases, adopt American children. Adoption is an of increasingly complicated t and sophisticated subjec. It is both a love story, but also a history of rights. The United States is the first receiving country with 11 000 foreign adoptions made each year, while France is at the third place with 3,504 children adopted in 2010.

What other differences are there between foreign adoptions on both sides of the Atlantic?

Which also connects France and the United States is that these two countries have ratified the 1993 Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. However, in France, adoption agencies are organized around volunteers who do this with all their heart. In the U.S., they are also non-profit structures, but there are specialist staff and employees, lawyers, doctors, psychologists, etc..

Is it a model for the functioning of agencies in France?

It's part of our thinking. In 2008 when I took my position, there were 42 accredited organizations, primarily voluntary. I then asked them to pool their forces and regroup. Today they are 34. The next step will be to have more access to specific personnel and professionals. It is in this sense that we try to focus our efforts. In all cases, we must do everything so that children can remain in their country. If no solution, at that moment, we must consider international adoption. It is first about giving a family a child to a family.

What are your plans to continue to improve foreign adoptions for French families?

I just returned from Moscow where we just signed a bi-lateral agreement with Russia on international adoptions, since many French families wishing to adopt from this country. I'll be visiting soon to Vietnam, which this year will ratify the Hague Convention. Finally, we have a huge effort to make in Haiti, which has also signed that text. This country needs to strengthen its rules and structures in adoption. With Quebec, the United States, Italy and other European countries, we will present a cooperation plan to help Haitians put in place measures for the protection of children. Procedures must be clearer and the State needs more controls in this area.

For more information:

In 2010, 3,504 children were adopted abroad by French families, including 992 in Haiti, 469 in Vietnam, 969 in Colombia, 352 in Ethiopia and 301 in Russia.

===========================================================================================

France-Amérique.com > Actualité > Société

L'ambassadeur français des adoptions s'inspire des Américains

Jean-Paul Monchau, l’ambassadeur de France chargé des adoptions internationales a rencontré son homologue américaine à Washington.

Anaïs Digonnet

17 mars 2011

En déplacement à Washington et Atlanta fin février, Jean-Paul Monchau, l’ambassadeur de France chargé des adoptions internationales a rencontré son homologue américaine et un organisme spécialisé. Objectif : prendre exemple sur le professionnalisme américain en matière d'adoptions.

Je me suis d’abord rendu à Washington où j’ai rencontré mon homologue, l’ambassadeur Susan Jacobs, qui s’occupe des questions touchant à la protection de l’enfance et aux adoptions internationales. Il est important d’échanger des informations sur les procédures d’adoption en place par exemple. A Atlanta, j’ai rencontré des membres de l’organisationIllien Adoptions International, qui permet, dans certains cas, l’adoption d’enfants américains dans des pays étrangers.

Est-ce le cas avec la France?

Ce qu’ils appellent ces « outgoing adoptions » en direction de la France, ont été un des éléments de nos conversation. Le monde bouge. Il y a des familles françaises ou franco-américaines qui pourraient être amenées, dans quelques cas, à adopter des enfants américains. L’adoption est un sujet de plus en plus délicat et sophistiqué. C’est à la fois une histoire d’amour, mais aussi une histoire de droit. Les Etats-Unis est le premier pays d’accueil d’enfants avec 11 000 adoptions à l’étranger réalisées chaque année, tandis que la France est à la troisième position, avec 3 504 enfants adoptés en 2010.

Quelles sont les autres différences entre les adoptions à l’étranger des deux côtés de l’Atlantique ?

Ce qui relie aussi la France et les Etats-Unis, c’est que ces deux pays ont ratifié la convention de La Haye en 1993 sur la protection des enfants et la coopération en matière d’adoption internationale. Cependant, en France, les agences d’adoption sont organisées autour de bénévoles qui font cela avec tout le cœur. Au Etats-Unis, ce sont aussi des structures à but non lucratif, mais il y a du personnel spécialisé et salarié, des juristes, des médecins, des psychologues, etc.

Est-ce un modèle à suivre pour la fonctionnement des agences en France ?

Cela fait partie de nos réflexions. En 2008, lorsque j’ai pris mon poste, il y avait 42 organisations agréées, dans le monde associatif principalement. Je leur ai alors demandé de mutualiser leurs forces et de se regrouper. Aujourd’hui, elles sont 34. La prochaine étape sera d’avoir plus recours à du personnel spécifique et professionnels. C’est dans ce sens que nous essayerons de faire porter nos efforts. Dans tous les cas, il faut tout faire pour que les enfants puissent rester dans leur pays. S’il n’y a pas de solution, à ce moment là, il faut envisager l’adoption internationale. Il s’agit d’abord de donner une famille à un enfant et non un enfant à une famille.

Quels sont vos projets pour continuer à améliorer les adoptions à l’étranger pour les familles françaises ?

Je rentre de Moscou où nous venons de signer un accord bi-latéral avec la Russie en matière d’adoptions internationales, car de nombreuses familles françaises souhaitent adopter dans ce pays. Je me rendrai aussi prochainement au Vietnam, qui va ratifier cette année la convention de La Haye. Enfin, nous avons un énorme effort à faire en direction d’Haïti; qui vient aussi de signer le texte. Ce pays a besoin de renforcer ses règles et ses structures en matière d’adoption. Avec le Québec, les Etats-Unis, l’Italie et d’autres pays européens, nous allons présenter un plan de coopération pour aider les Haïtiens à mettre en place des mesure en faveur de la protection de l’enfance. Il faut que les procédures soient plus claires et que l’Etat fasse plus de contrôles dans ce domaine.

Pour en savoir plus:

En 2010, 3 504 enfants ont été adoptés à l'étranger par des familles françaises, dont 992 en Haïti, 469 au Vietnam, 969 en Colombie, 352 en Ethiopie et 301 en Russie.

Countries: Haiti, Russia, Italy, Vietnam, France, United States of America

Persons: Susan S. Jacobs, Jean-Paul Monchau

Organizations: Illien Adoptions International, Inc.

Police told to probe child trafficking gangs

2011-03-16 18:40:00

15 Hotels in DelhiAds by GoogleBook your hotel in Delhi online. All hotels with special offers. www.booking.com/Hotels-Delhi

New Delhi, March 16 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Wednesday took a serious view of police failure to trace missing children and directed Delhi Police chief to constitute a task force to find out if gangs were involved in child trafficking.

The division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Sanjiv Khanna pulled up police while referring to a report filed by the Delhi Legal Services Authority stating that over 500 children missing since the past one year have not been rescued.

Countries: India

Vietnam initiates first national program on child protection

Wednesday,Mar 16,2011, Posted at: 14:01(GMT+7)

Vietnam initiates first national program on child protection

The United Nations Children’s Fund and the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs have set up the first National Program on Child Protection for the period 2011-2015 in Vietnam.

Chidren must be protected from human trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, violence and injury. Vietnam first has National Program on Child Protection

This decision has just received the Prime Minister’s approval and marks an important milestone in the development and growth of children in Vietnam. The National Program targets all children, particularly those with special needs and those that are abused, exploited or are juvenile delinquents.

The program aims to reduce the percentage of children with special needs to less than 5.5 percent, provide care, recuperation and rehabilitation to 80 percent of such children, identify and provide early intervention to 70 percent of highly vulnerable children and establish a child protection service system in 50 percent of all provinces and cities across the country by 2015.

While Vietnam has achieved impressive economic growth and social progress, the country is facing a growing need to protect its children. Over 1.6 million Vietnamese children are currently living in special circumstances as defined by the Law on Child Protection, Care and Education.

If other groups of vulnerable children are included in this definition, such as victims of human trafficking, kidnapping, abuse, violence and injury as well as children from impoverished families, the total number of children in special circumstances would rise to around 4.3 million or 18 percent of the total child population of Vietnam.

The total budget for the program is VND1, 756 billion (US$90 million). As planned, VND913.5 billion will be provided from the national budget, VND742 billion from local budgets, VND70 billion from international organizations and VND30 billion from communities and other sources. The Program will be implemented across the country, focusing on areas with a high number of children in need and at risk which includes all children from ethnic minorities as well as disadvantaged areas.

The Program has developed over the years and proved beneficial from consistent efforts made by concerned Government agencies at national and sub-national levels, as well as from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other international organizations.

The Prime Minister’s approval of the National Program on Child Protection shows the Government’s strong commitment for child protection and care. The Program will give direction to activities in the next five years which will contribute to the creation of a safe and friendly environment for children and the prevention and elimination of risk factors that cause harm to children. The Program will provide timely support, recuperation and rehabilitation services for children in special circumstances as well as abused and exploited children.

“We applaud the Government for this great decision and its strong budget commitments. We strongly believe that the National Program on Child Protection will substantially improve care and protection for children in Vietnam, in particular vulnerable children.” said Lotta Sylwander, UNICEF’s Representative in Vietnam.

The National Program on Child Protection has five sector of focus, namely: i) communication, education and social mobilization; ii) strengthening of volunteers and other staff working on child care and protection at all levels; iii) development of a child protection service system, including a child protection structure, social service centers, counseling centers and a community network of child protection; iv) development and scaling up of community-based models on care and support for children in special circumstances, especially orphans, abandoned children, children with disabilities, street children, sexually abused children and children and minors in conflict with the law; v) improving the effectiveness of state management on child care and protection.

The National Program on Children Protection will hopefully address the complexity of child protection issues and thus contribute to the long-term economic and social well-being of Vietnam.

By Uyen Phuong

Countries: Vietnam

Organizations: Unicef New York

Raise money for foster parents

Google translation:

Raise money for foster parents
Valentina Simeonova, Deputy Minister of Labour
and Social Policy

- Mrs. Simeon, what increase in social benefits is being considered because the prices of food and fuel?
- The social assistance system is not a means to cope with economic problems. It is focused more on how a specific person to deal with a personal problem. Of course, all these phenomena have economic and social manifestations. Many people get poorer and become clients of social assistance. Social benefits are tied to guaranteed minimum income, which is 65 EUR preparing estimates of how much money will be needed to increase it, taking into account inflation. It is 5.2% currently. If so by increasing the guaranteed minimum income would require 7.5 million additional budget costs. Because the release of the guaranteed minimum income leads to increase in all social payments - monthly social assistance, allowances for people with disabilities and children's allowances.
- How many people are on welfare in our country?
- For all of 2010 116,000 people were receiving social assistance. Monthly average they are 44 342. Moreover, the Integration of Persons with Disabilities last year assisted 543 thousand. Target heating subsidies received 206,452 persons, child benefit - 570,577 families.
- What happens to the big reform that began last year - the closing of specialized institutions for children and keeping them in conditions close to family?
- This is a complex and lengthy process. Year and a half, however, managed to reverse the perception of us as Bulgaria's Mogilino in a country that has been identified as the most successful model of reform for the deinstitutionalization of these children. We have already begun and implementation of specific projects. Rated all of the homes for disabled children and homes from 0 to 3 years - more than 3000 children. By May municipalities will be ready with their projects for new small family homes and start their construction. Start a new project to foster care with much greater resources - 15 million of the Operational Programme "Human Resources".
- How many children currently being raised in foster care?
- Thanks to the help of our partners by UNICEF last year sharply increased the number of foster families. So far these are accommodated 559 children. Only in 2010 housed 221, ie a 50% growth. We will make a standard that takes into account real life, and are likely to increase funds for maintenance and payment of foster families. At the moment it is up to 360 leva for a foster parent, depending on the number of children. We want to encourage people specialists to address this serious work, not just unemployed people to become foster parents.
- How many babies are abandoned annually?
- Still the number is over 2000. Most worrying is the fact that half of these children are still abandoned in the maternity hospital. This means that we lack for prevention. Will increase the number of protected points "Mother and Child, where the first 6 months professionals caring mother to acquire parenting skills. There are currently 10 - too weak. We have planned to build such centers in all districts. During this six months, while single mothers are in them will be sought for accommodation. People from the EU still can not believe that Bulgaria babies are abandoned in institutions. There immediately after birth is a professional foster family. Meanwhile prepare the environment for its adoption.
- It became clear that to write a new law on child and family. Why have it?
- Our idea is to integrate the whole matter to children in a single act. Moreover, the current law on child protection focus are children at risk. The new law will be based on the fundamental rights of children, creating an environment that ensures the proper development of children in Bulgaria. And the family and responsible parenthood will be part of this new law. Like all institutions with clear responsibilities for the care and development of children. For those who do not fulfill their responsibilities, there will be sanctions. Including parents. There are many ideas for penalties for poor parents, although I am more incentives for good. Including available and the criminalization of child abandonment, such as legislative practice in many countries. It is unacceptable to abandon children. But if you go to criminality, that means we need to create an environment to support parents so that they do not abandon their children. The project will be ready in late April.
- And what incentives will be offered for good parents?
- Think for individual family support. For example, parents whose children attend school and show results in the learning process, to receive more aid. Support can be both financially and materially - clothes, books, computers. They will target groups at risk, because there is a problem, but the best parents in most cases do not rely on social assistance system.
Mila Kisiova

Organizations: Unicef New York

Countries: Bulgaria

US envoy to take up Cambodia, Vietnam adoption

Mar 15, 2011

US envoy to take up Cambodia, Vietnam adoption

WASHINGTON - A US ENVOY will head this week to Vietnam and Cambodia to look at ways to resume adoptions, which have been suspended due to concerns over child trafficking, the State Department said on Monday.

Susan Jacobs, the special US adviser on children's issues, will head on Wednesday to the South-east Asian countries for talks with officials and other stakeholders on adoption, the department said.

The United States suspended adoptions from Cambodia in 2001 and from Vietnam in 2008. In Vietnam, a US probe found that some adoption rackets were paying US$10,000 (S$12,660) 'donations' to orphanages to claim falsely that infants were abandoned.

The State Department, in a statement, said it 'welcomes Vietnam's strong efforts to create a child welfare system and an inter-country adoption process that will meet its obligations' under the Hague treaty on adoptions.

The United States is the world's largest source of adoptive parents. Other countries have also been moving to restart adoptions in South-east Asia, with Cambodia drafting regulations for children to be adopted by French parents. -- AFP

Persons: Susan S. Jacobs

Countries: Vietnam, United States of America, Cambodia

"La dictature a tué mes parents"

Rédaction | Jean-Baptiste Mouttet | 14/03/2011

Cinq cents bébés auraient été volés lors de la dictature en Argentine. Un procès met à jour cette page sombre de l'histoire. Alejandro Pedro Sandoval est un de ces enfants.

Des prisonniers politiques jetés à la mer depuis un avion, des hommes et femmes torturés dont les proches n'auront plus jamais de nouvelles, des accouchements en détention, des enlèvements d'enfants... Depuis le 28 février, les Argentins sont confrontés aux pages noires de leur histoire avec l'ouverture du procès sur le vol des bébés. Ce procès n'aurait pu se dérouler sans le travail d'investigation des grand-mères de la Place de Mai. En cherchant leurs proches disparus sous la dictature (1976-1983), elles ont écrit les pages de l'histoire de leur pays.

Countries: Argentina

Register aims to speed up adoptions

(UKPA) – 2 hours ago

A new adoption register designed to increase and speed up adoptions for children will begin taking referrals from the end of the month.

The Scottish Government has allocated £26,282 to the British Association for Adoption and Fostering (BAAF) in 2010-11 to help set up a Scottish National Adoption Register, and is providing a further £87,934 a year for the next three financial years to run it - initially on a three-year pilot basis.

Between its launch in 2004 and February this year, the Adoption Register for England and Wales, also run by BAAF, matched 1,390 children as a result of links it had identified.

Children's minister Adam Ingram said: "The latest figures show that last year there were 15,892 looked after children in Scotland yet only 455 children were adopted.

"The statistics also show that children are becoming looked after for longer periods, creating uncertainty and potential long term social and emotional problems. This underlines the need to increase and speed up adoptions where this is in the best interests of the child.

"The Scottish Government has been looking at how best to increase adoption rates, given the long-term benefits this has for children who can no longer remain with their birth parents."

The register will go live from March 31, after which local authorities and adoption agencies will be asked to refer all children who have had a permanence decision to the register.

If they have not been matched with a family within three months of the referral, the register will begin looking for a match nationally.

It is also proposed that prospective adopters be placed on the register once a decision has been made by their adoption panel and they will be made available on the register three months later.

Barbara Hudson, director of BAAF Scotland, said: "We are very excited about establishing the Adoption Register in Scotland. If it is as successful as the one in England and Wales then there is a real potential to make a big difference to the lives of many of children across Scotland who desperately need love and stability from a forever family."

Countries: United Kingdom

Organizations: British Association for Adoption & Fostering ( BAAF)

Orissa orphanage chief, caretaker held for torturing kids

Bhubaneswar |Monday, 2011 11:05:05 PM IST

Hindus in Pakistan celebrate Holi

The chief and the caretaker of a private orphanage in Orissas Sundergarh district were arrested Monday for torturing children at the shelter, police said.

Global Village president Amiyabala Sethi and caretaker Runi Sethi, both women, were arrested from Biramitrapur town, about 550 km from Bhubaneswar, the local police station chief R.C.Singh told IANS.

Countries: India

Organizations: Global Village

Themamiddag over homoseksueel ouderschap

Themamiddag over homoseksueel ouderschap

Ben jij homo of lesbisch en heb je een kinderwens? Op zondag 13 maart 2011, van 15:00 tot 17:00 uur, organiseren Stichting Ambulante Fiom en COC Limburg een themamiddag voor homomannen en lesbische vrouwen met een kinderwens. Tijdens verschillende lezingen gaan (ervaring)deskundigen in op onderwerpen zoals biologische moeder en meemoeder, adoptie en draagmoederschap, de rol van de donor, kiezen voor een bekende of onbekende donor (bron: persbericht).

De middag wordt afgesloten met een gezellige borrel waarbij er nagepraat kan worden met de sprekers. Aanmelden kan via maastricht@fiom.nl of 088-1264990 en kost €5 voor COC leden en €7 voor niet COC leden. COC Limburg is te vinden aan de Bogaardenstraat 43, 6211 SN te Maastricht

Countries: Netherlands