Huge global demand for kids’ adoption but…
Huge global demand for kids’ adoption but…
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 14:03:00 08/12/2009
Filed Under: Children
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MANILA, Philippines — There is a huge international demand for adoption of children, but some syndicates are taking advantage of fewer children available for adoption by placing the children themselves, which is essentially child trafficking, said the Inter-Country Adoption Board (Icab) Wednesday.
In a statement promoting the international conference on inter-country adoption scheduled next week in Manila, Icab executive director, lawyer Bernadette Abejo said fewer children are available for adoption, as “some countries have slowed down on sending children out. There are countries that used to send out children in the thousands per year. We only send out approximately 400 to 500 a year.”
Abejo explained that while the Department of Social Welfare and Development processes local domestic adoptions through courts, only her office Icab is allowed to process international adoptions.
She said inter-country adoption is for children who “have lost hope of being adopted by families in the Philippines. Thus, they are qualified for inter-country adoption. Every child has the right to belong to a family. We are promoting and safeguarding that right.”
Abejo said the Philippine government recognizes inter-country adoption as an acceptable mode of providing abandoned, abused and neglected children with “alternative foreign parental care.”
The 10th Global Consultation on Child Welfare Services is on August 18-21 at the Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati. At least 70 foreign delegates from Asia-Pacific, Canada, Europe, and the United States are expected to attend.
Abejo acknowledged that the country is still in the process of improving and upgrading its adoption policies and strategies. “We want to strengthen our inter-country adoption program and along the way, better the lot of children needing alternative parental care,” she said.
In 1995, pursuant to the Inter-Country Adoption Law RA 8043, Icab was created. On January 8, 1996, the Senate ratified The Hague Convention to facilitate inter-country adoption through Icab.
She pointed out that “one of the missions of adoption is to put a stop to child trafficking. Children should never be exposed to all forms of abuse, be it physical or emotional. They must be reared and cared in the best way possible.”
The conference will also discuss child trafficking.
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