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Response from the Attorney-General's Department to questions from ABC News Online

Why did the Government suspend Ethiopian adoptions?

On 18 November 2009, the Attorney-General suspended the Ethiopia-Australia inter-country adoption program due to concerns Australia could no longer conduct inter-country adoptions in Ethiopia in a manner consistent with its obligations under the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in respect of Inter-country Adoption. A key reason for the suspension was concerns about the apparent linking of referrals of children to the program with the provision of financial/material assistance to individual orphanages.

What was the outcome of the Government's trip to Ethiopia?

An Australian delegation travelled to Ethiopia from 17-24 January 2010 to discuss the suspension and investigate options for the future of the Ethiopia-Australia inter-country adoption program.

Countries: Ethiopia, Australia

Persons: Ato Lakew Gebeyehu

Oeganda - adoption exploitation

Land: Oeganda
Thema: Uitbuiting

In het Iganga-district geven we aan 5.500 kinderen voorlichting over hun rechten. Ook bieden we onderwijs en juridische bijstand aan kinderen met HIV/aids en hun families.

Het verhaal van Peter
Nog net kind en dan al weg bij zijn moeder. Peter is slechts 16 maanden oud als zijn vader hem komt opeisen voor familiebezoek. Twee weken zou hij wegblijven, maar hij komt niet terug. Als zijn moeder naar hem vraagt, zegt de vader dat Peter voortaan bij zijn tante woont. Niet veel later overlijdt de vader. Weer probeert zijn moeder Peter terug naar huis te halen, zonder succes. De tante houdt haar aan het lijntje. Peter’s moeder probeert hem te bezoeken, maar krijgt haar kind niet te zien. Als de tante vertelt dat ze hem voor een operatie naar Duitsland heeft gestuurd, gaat de moeder naar de politie. Haar kind mag zonder haar toestemming Oeganda immers niet uit. Bij haar ondervraging geeft de tante toe dat ze haar kind voor adoptie heeft afgestaan. Waarschijnlijk heeft ze hem verkocht. Hij woont in Jinja, in het oosten van Oeganda. Peter’s moeder krijgt van de politie het advies de adoptie aan te vechten. Maar ze heeft geen geld voor een advocaat. Gelukkig krijgt ze juridische bijstand via het project van FIDA-Uganda. De rechtszaak is maandenlang voorpaginanieuws in Oeganda. Peter’s moeder wordt in het gelijk gesteld: de jongen had nooit mogen worden afgestaan zonder toestemming van de nog levende ouder. De adoptie wordt onmiddellijk ongedaan gemaakt. De nu zevenjarige Peter is eindelijk weer thuis.

Persons: Peter Sebuliba alias Namansa James

Countries: Uganda

Organizations: Terre des Hommes Netherlands

This is Lumos: Brand Refresh

Lumos, the international children’s charity founded by J.K. Rowling engaged Global Natives to do a top to bottom brand refresh in advance of a major moment in the spotlight. That moment occurred last month, when the eBook version of The Tales of Beetle the Bard (a lateral book to the Harry Potter series) went on sale on Pottermore, with proceeds benefitting Lumos.

In the past months, we worked hand in hand with Lumos’ CEO and her amazing staff, both at their London HQ and in the field,to redefine how Lumos tells its story and engages the public with it. This was primarily accomplished as a result of a comprehensive process in which we deconstructed the brand via staff interviews and field research. Their work is so powerful, so important, but also complicated, and hard to immediately grasp given its breadth and depth. Thus, the initial focus of our work was entirely new branding and messaging. Once that was locked in, they put it to use… in a lot of places!

We’re proud to say that the finished products of the months’ long process speak for themselves. To tell their story across platforms, at eye level, to a multitude of demographics, we created:

A new website for Lumos that looks like anything but a standard charity website, with the emphasis placed on ongoing and dynamic storytelling. A major thanks to our friends at Public Society in Brooklyn for their help with design and development.

Organizations: Lumos

Cuando cerraron los “baby shops” de Rumania

When they closed the Romanian “baby shops”

“There have been moments when we took more into account the interests of the parents then those of the children”

“The Irene Foundation, the Romanian associate of the Spanish agency ADECOP, was the best in manoeuvering bribery”

“As the US managed to get exceptions to the moratorium on international adoptions in Romania, we wanted an equitable treatment”

Organizations: BOOK: Romania for Export Only, ACT IN THE NEWS, Fundatia Irene

Persons: Roelie Post (European Commission), José María GIL-ROBLES GIL-DELGADO, Elena Bustea (Ileana Bustea) aka Elena Bustea Carselli

Countries: Spain, Romania

Young Chinese arrivals pure joy for Canadian families

Young Chinese arrivals pure joy for Canadian families

English.news.cn 2010-05-31 23:53:32

by Al Campbell

VANCOUVER, May 31 (Xinhua) -- As the world gets ready to mark International Children's Day this Tuesday, the occasion will be a truly special time for those families who have indeed become a family through the adoption of a child.

In Canada, a large country physically but tiny in terms of population, about 34 million people, many childless couples have become a family through the adoption process. For many years, China has been the number one source for Canadians adopting a child.

According to figures from Statistics Canada, in 2006, the last Canadian census year, there were 1,871 international adoptions the year previous, with China providing 973 children. Haiti was a distant second, followed by South Korea, the United States and Russia.

In 2005, 370 Chinese children were adopted by families in the province of Ontario, followed by Quebec with 347 and British Columbia with 104.

Cathy Loptson, Family Services of Greater Vancouver Adoption Agency's program manager-administrator, said while China has long been the favored place for couples looking overseas to adopt, she expected the numbers to be drastically reduced when the results of the next census are released next year.

Citing Statistics Canada figures showing that 68 Chinese children were adopted by British Columbia couples between April 2007 and March 2008, she said the figures would likely to drop further with China's growing affluence and the fact that more Chinese couples were adopting domestically.

Regardless of the wait to receive a child and the increasingly limited supply, Loptson said China remained the top source for couples looking to adopt because of its procedures for inter- country adoption were very organized.

"Usually what families have said, and certainly from an adoption agency perspective, the country (China) itself is very stable and there never seemed to really be any concerns that the program would close or open on an irregular basis. Whereas some countries historically were affected by political unrest, sometimes natural disasters or the infrastructure wasn't in place, " she said.

"China seems to have all of those procedures in place and adoptions from China went relatively smoothly. People knew exactly what they needed to do and what they needed to send off to China with their (adoption) dossier. It was very organized, very predictable and that's why it was so popular with families."

While families may have to wait up to five years or longer now to adopt a Chinese child, Susan Cumberland and her husband waited 16 months to adopt daughter Leung Rai-ann in 2002. Today, the girl is 10 years old, while younger sister Alana, the Vancouver couple' s biological child, is eight.

The couple adopted Rai-ann at one year old after she had been found left on the steps of a government building in Guangdong province's Yandong County when she was less than a week old.

Cumberland, a high-school teacher who runs a tutor referral business from her house in Burnaby, a neighboring city to Vancouver proper, said it had always been her dream since she was a child to adopt two children, one from Asia and another from Africa, as well as having two children of her own.

"Then I had to find a man who wanted the same things but my husband seemed to be on the same page. However, we got Rai-Ann from China, then we got Alana and I thought this is a lot more work than I expected, so two is enough."

Cumberland said while Rai-ann has brought great joy to her life, the 18 months of waiting to get a child was "hard to watch" as "other people were getting pregnant and having babies".

"The paperwork is a lot easier than giving birth, now that I have done that," she said with a laugh. "But yeah, there is a lot of paperwork."

"We asked for a boy or a girl, but 99 per cent of the time you get a girl. In our group there were no boys. The 15 of us who went over everyone got a girl. There were hundreds of other people adopting at the same time at the hotel from different parts of the world and we did see some boys, but very few."

Rai-ann, a lively child who plays piano, practices gymnastics and occasionally works as a part-time actor, said the family would be going to China in 2012, giving her a chance to explore her roots.

"I'm a dragon and that's going to be the Year of the Dragon. We are going to visit my adoption place and we're going to get to help out with the babies and hold them. I hear that it takes a few planes to get there."

Rai-ann and her sister also studied Mandarin last year, but admit without the practice they have forgotten half of what they learnt.

"I can say a few words like 'zai jen', 'nei ho ma' and if someone says 'nei hao ma' to you, you would reply 'wo hen hao'. Then there is pu tao, a grape, and xi gua, watermelon."

"There is also 'mei mei', meaning little sister, and 'dee dee' meaning little brother," chimes in little sister Alana.

"It's sort of hard to learn because we can't really read it, but we can speak it a little," Rai-ann adds.

Loptson said couples wanting to adopt a Chinese child should be prepared to wait and expect to pay about 25,000 to 30,000 Canadian dollars for the privilege. This included agency fees in both countries, travel for two to China, hotels, a home study, preparing of the dossier and liaising with the China Center for Adoption Affairs.

"There's a website out there called Rumor Queen and it's all about (couples) trying to predict when they are going to get a proposal. It may take five, six, seven or eight year."

One couple who have been waiting nearly four years is Laura and Bruce Kagetsu. In March the professional couple, both Vancouver real estate agents, received a proposal for a one-year- old boy that they could pick up in Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, in June. Bruce Kagetsu said despite the wait, there was never any disappointment.

"It wasn't disappointment. You knew eventually (you were going to get a child), you just didn't know when, that was the frustrating part. You just have to go on with your life, life goes on. They keep you informed with e-mails and updates, but because of Beijing and the Olympics that slowed things down big time," said the Japanese-Canadian.

"Of course we're excited. It's a healthy baby because we had doctor's reports and everything and it's all good. We're counting down the days until we go to Nanning."

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2010-05/31/c_13326023.htm

Organizations: China Center of Adoption Affairs (CCAA)

Countries: China, Canada

Three million babies hidden

Monday, May 31, 2010

By Malcolm Moore, The Daily Telegraph

New findings suggest that China's one-child policy may not be as grim as once thought.

Photographed by:
Frederic J. Brown, Getty Images, The Daily Telegraph

As many as three million Chinese babies are hidden by their parents every year in order to get around the country's one-child policy, a researcher has discovered.

Countries: China

Will it become easier the adoption of Bulgarian children for the Bulgarians families abroad?

31 May 2010 / 05:05:40 GRReporter

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The problem is that the Bulgarians who live abroad according to law must pass a more complicated procedure for foreigners. In a discussion, which was opened by an information portal www.cross-bg.nettogether with the party of Bulgarians living abroad "The Other Bulgaria” became clear that the law was changed in 2009 and the procedure is shortened to six months but still remains the problem for the social services to make their study for the environment in which the child will live in order to give their opinions about the prospective adoptive parents.

In a petition to the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria RP "The Other Bulgaria" expressed their insistence to change the restrictive Article 110 of the Family Code, which states: "A child residing in the Republic of Bulgaria may be adopted by a person ordinarily resident abroad, when all other possibilities for adoption in the country are exhausted. "

In the discussion of the information agency CROSS participation took the representatives of the Ministry of Justice, representatives of the Ombudsman Ginyo Ganev, deputies from different political powers, representatives of the State Agency for Bulgarians Abroad, representatives of the State Agency for Child Protection and others.

Procedure

The main problems related to the child custody and the inclusion of the children in the register for adoption have been solved with the texts of the new Family Code which entered into power on 1/10/2009, said Valentina Bogdanova – member of the commission for the Education, Science and issues of children, Youth and Sports - AB. "The period in which the children which are not looked for by their parents can be proposed for adoption is reduced from 3 years to 6 months. The legal standards, however, can not resolve another problem that accompanies the activities of state bodies. Bulgarian families, adoptive applicants, are looking for healthy Bulgarians up to 3 years old. They are not interested in the vast majority of children in the registers – gypsies, children with disabilities or older chilren. These children rely mainly on international adoption. The new legal texts speed up these procedures - if during the period for national adoption nobody is interested in the child - it is included in the register for international adoption. I find it proper to exhaust all possibilities Bulgarian children without parents, to grow into Bulgarian families”, says Ms. Bogdanova.

"With the new Family Code, adopted on 1/10/2009 year the laws has changed / in particular Chapter 8 / associated with adoption.

Following the changes in the law, Bulgarians living abroad are treated as foreigners and have to submit documents for adoption of Bulgarian children under the international procedures.

Change that discriminate the Bulgarians who are living abroad

According to Mrs. Bogdanova, the adopted amendments violate the equality among Bulgarians and discriminate against those who temporarily or permanently are residing abroad. According to paragraph 2 of Art.6 of the Constitution of Bulgaria: All citizens are equal before the law. There shall be no restriction of rights or privileges based on race, nationality, ethnicity, sex, national origin, religion, education, beliefs, political affiliation, personal or social status or property possession.

In this context, we created the Civil Initiative for Equal Rights for adoption.

We would like a change in the law which does not violates our rights as Bulgarian citizens, regardless of our place of residence:

1. Introduction of a social report directly to the Ministry of Justice without passing through the accredited agencies.

2. Bulgarian citizens living permanently abroad, but maintained Bulgarian citizenship to be treated as such and have priority over foreigners for the adoption procedures. Having this in mind that children need to be provided with a chance to grow first in a familiar environment, ethnicity and language.

Even when we are living abroad we talk in our families Bulgarian language and we have such a culture.”

"As to the difficulties for Bulgarian adoption candidates who live outside the country there should not be any restrictions in the legislation for Bulgarian candidates for adoptive parents and there should not be any differences compared to Bulgarian citizens living in the country," said Mr. Vanyo Sharkov - PG Blue coalition, deputy chairman of the health committee - the view was taken by telephone as Mr. Sharkov on the road. He said "The procedure in respect to the foreign nationals is more complex and longer, but this is dictated by the fact that too much has been said that these children have been marketed abroad and in order not to rise to such debate there is a strict procedure for foreigners.”

"The transition from home for abandoned children in a family of Bulgarians, regardless of whether they live in Bulgaria or abroad is a natural and lightweight, they adapt easily to the home environment, speak the same language, have the Bulgarian education, culture, etc. Bulgarian children adopted by foreigners are experiencing the shock of a new country, language, culture, education and the adaptation is difficult, moreover, they completely loose their identity and become foreigners, "said Ms Victoria Petrunova

But to think ...

Victoria Petrunova signaled for the risk of changes in the law relating to circumvention of the law and the after adoption control. "With so decided changes in the law it could becreated conditions to circumvent the law and corruption, which are in complete conflict with the requirements of the Hague Convention. The possibility for adoption according to the National procedure by foreign nationals with usual residence in Bulgaria, without foreseeing any special restrictions or conditions would create preconditions for the adoption of tourism and trafficking of children, similar to that in Africa and Asia. On the other hand Bulgarian citizens living abroad would have recourse to the option of adoption process by the National procedure by fictitious residence in Bulgaria for a certain period of time. These opportunities for circumvention would trouble the after adoption control and create opportunities for corruption schemes” warned Ms Petrunova.

In the same spirit is the statement of Ivilina Aleksiva from the Institute for advanced policy, who believes that "the main priority in adoption process is to protect the interests of the child. For this purpose, it should be made a research of the family environment and atmosphere that can not be replaced by a declaration. For me, the problems are related to: 1) removing the priority on territorial lines, 2) significantly faster and more efficient procedures, 3) reduction of bureaucracy, if this is possible. And the social study is not a bureaucratic element.”

Examples of good practice

"There are many examples of countries that have ratified the Hague Convention, which gives priority to the candidates for adoptive parents who are citizens of the country of origin of the child and live outside of that country. Examples of such are Lithuania, Poland, India,” says the leader of PP " The Other Bulgaria” Mr. Bozidar Tomalevski. He immediately proposed to the Ministry of Justice to "examine all records in adoption, which started under the old legislation and have not been completed within 3 months to have a clear, precise and definite opinion. The opinion should be made available to the prospective adoptive parents. Mr. Tomalevski made a proposal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “if it is not given adequate information regarding the documents for adoption in the embassies of Bulgaria in the world to take the appropriate actions and provide all the necessary information in our embassies.”

Suggestions

Victoria Petrunova came up with three proposals for simplifing the procedure related to the Bulgarians living abroad. "To be restored the rights of Bulgarian citizens abroad to apply under national procedures. If this is not possible and is an international requirement, to apply under the procedure of the International Department of Justice, but be entered in the National Register, along with all Bulgarian citizens, because belongs to them by law. If this is also not possible, to be entered in the International Register, but to be given priority over foreigners!” Mrs. Petrunova turned with these proposals to the Ministry of Justice.

Countries: Bulgaria

Anisha: Den Nonnen auf der Spur

30.05.10

Drucken Versenden Bewerten

Anisha: Den Nonnen auf der Spur

von Thomas Vitzthum

Der Satz durchfuhr Anisha Mörtl wie ein Blitz: "Du bist ein gestohlenes Kind." Der junge Mann, der sie damit konfrontierte, sah ihr ähnlich, dunkle Haut, dunkle Haare, dunkle Augen, indisch. Wie sie war er in ein Land zurückgekommen, mit dem ihn kaum mehr verband als das Gefühl, dort eigentlich hinzugehören. Anisha Mörtl war 13 Jahre alt, als sie ihre Eltern aus München überredete, nach Indien zu reisen. Ihre Mutter hatte sich lange gesträubt. "Sie wollte nicht, dass ich nach meinen Wurzeln suche", sagt Anisha.

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Im Alter von zehn Monaten wurde die heute 19-Jährige im indischen Hyderabad abgeholt. Ihre neuen Eltern waren schon an die 40, zu alt, um in Deutschland ein Baby zu adoptieren. Die Auslandsadoption war ihre einzige Chance. Ihre leibliche Mutter habe sie in einem Krankenhaus bei den Schwestern des Schwester-Theresa-Ordens abgegeben. Sie habe schon zu viele Kinder und hätte keines mehr ernähren können - diese Geschichte wurde Anisha von ihren neuen Eltern erzählt, seit sie sich ihres Andersseins bewusst war.

Nun stand Anisha in Hyderabad einem jungen Mann gegenüber, der wie sie als Baby adoptiert wurde. Und wie sie hatte er sich auf die Suche nach seinen eigentlichen Eltern gemacht. Dabei war er nicht auf eine rührende Geschichte gestoßen, sondern auf ein Geschäft, das sich nur als Menschenhandel bezeichnen lässt. ",Du bist auch ein gestohlenes Kind', sagte er. Das war zu viel für mich, mir wurde schlecht und ich bin umgekippt", erzählt Anisha Mörtl.

Mit Adoptivvater und -mutter besuchte Anisha das Krankenhaus des Ordens, von dem ihre Eltern sie seinerzeit bekommen hatten. Eine Schar kleiner Kinder lief ihr entgegen. Aus ihrer Mitte trat Schwester Theresa, eine alte indische Frau. "Wie sie mit mir redete, so hart, kalt, da wusste ich, es konnte wirklich etwas nicht stimmen." Noch einmal wiederholte die Schwester die Geschichte der armen Slumbewohnerin, die sich die Tochter nicht leisten konnte. Anishas Mutter gab sich damit zufrieden, wollte gehen, Anisha aber plagten Zweifel. Sie hatte unzählige Fragen, die ihr die Schwester nicht beantworten wollte. Doch Schwester Theresa verplapperte sich, und Anisha erfuhr den Namen ihrer leiblichen Mutter: Fatima. Sie zu finden, dazu war keine Zeit. In den Monaten nach ihrer Rückkehr nach Deutschland machte sich eine Menschenrechtlerin daran, nach Fatima zu suchen. An Weihnachten, zwei Jahre nach dem ersten Besuch in Indien, schickte sie einen Brief. "Wir haben Deine Mutter gefunden." Ein Schriftverkehr entwickelte sich zwischen Tochter und leiblicher Mutter, er ging über Jahre. Durch die Briefe aus Indien erfuhr Anisha Mörtl ihre ganze, ihre wahre Geschichte.

Ihre Mutter Fatima lebt in einem ärmlichen Viertel Hyderabads, sie ist Hausangestellte, kann nicht lesen und schreiben. Nachdem sie Anisha, die sie nach ihrer Geburt Farzana nennen wollte, im Krankenhaus der katholischen Nonnen geboren hatte, sagte man ihr, sie müsse 20 000 Rupien für die Entbindung zahlen. Eine Lüge. Aber Fatima verließ das Krankenhaus, um Geld zu beschaffen - ohne ihre Tochter. Als sie zurückkam, blieb ihr das Tor verschlossen. "Alle stecken in diesem korrupten System unter einer Decke. Die Wächter, die Schwestern, alle", sagt Anisha Mörtl. Sie ist Fatimas einziges Kind. Ihre Mutter wurde von den Schwestern zur Sterilisation gezwungen. Anisha wurde in den Westen verkauft. Sie ist kein Einzelfall. "Das System funktioniert immer noch. Schwester Theresa musste für ein paar Monate in Haft, aber nun macht sie wieder weiter", sagt Anisha Mörtl.

Während der Suche nach ihrem gestohlenen Leben ging die Beziehung zur Adoptivmutter zu Bruch. Nie war das Verhältnis spannungsfrei, weil die Mutter immer Dankbarkeit für ein Leben im Wohlstand einforderte. In der Schule sollte Anisha besser sein als die in Deutschland Geborenen, mindestens genauso gut. "Meine Mutter denkt sehr westlich arrogant. Sie meint, sie hat mich gerettet, aber so empfinde ich das nicht." Heute haben Adoptivmutter und Tochter keinen Kontakt mehr. Der Vater blieb ihr ein enger Vertrauter.

Im Dezember vergangenen Jahres reiste Anisha Mörtl noch einmal nach Hyderabad - und traf ihre leibliche Mutter. Ein verstörender Moment. In ihrer Wohnung hatte Fatima aus all den Fotos, die Anisha geschickt hatte, eine Art Altar aufgebaut. Vor einer Frage fürchtete sich die 19-Jährige, die gerade Abitur macht, am meisten: Willst Du bei mir bleiben? Doch Fatima stellte sie nicht. "Meine Mutter war überglücklich, aber sie hat verstanden, dass ich nicht mehr ihr Leben leben kann."

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Organizations: St. Theresa's Tender Loving Care Home, ACT CASE Anisha

Vietnam: Lawmakers want child adoption fees hiked

May 28, 2010

From Vietnews:

Speaking during a debate in the National Assembly Wednesday, they said besides paying the fees for adoption, foreigners should also defray the cost of filing for adoption and verifying the background of adoptees, besides paying a donation to the orphanage or welfare center.
They did not suggest a specific sum but said merely that Vietnam should apply the same fees other countries like China, Thailand, India, and South Korea do — of US$4,000-7,000 for an adoption.
The money would be used to improve conditions at orphanages and other relevant agencies, they said.
Most agreed but several expressed concern this could lead to trafficking.
Nguyen Thi Kim Thuy of Da Nang said the fee schedule must be included in the adoption laws rather than being decided by the government.
Vietnamese regulations require couples looking to adopt to be from a nation that has signed an agreement with Vietnam or to have worked or studied in Vietnam for at least six months.
The current adoption fee is VND3 million (US$158).

Countries: Vietnam

NL: More adoptions expected from Bulgaria

Re: adoptie usa of bulgarije

Gepost door: mar10e ()

Datum: 28 mei 2010 10:22

Hoi R.B,
Het klopt dat er nog maar 2 voorstellen zijn geweest, maar K & T geeft aan dat ze een fors aantal dossiers verwachten uit Bulgarije, daarom laten ze ook zoveel ouders toe op de wachtlijst. De autoriteiten in Bulgarije hebben aangeven dat er veel kinderen adoptabel zijn voor het buitenland en dat ze nu bezig zijn de administratie/dossiers ed. op orde te brengen. Als dat klaar is, verwacht K&T een flink aantal dossiers en dus ook voorstellen te gaan krijgen. Een deel gaan ze zelf matchen.

Deze info kreeg ik vorige week vrijdag van K&T

groet Martine

Countries: Bulgaria

Organizations: Stichting Kind en Toekomst