Latvian Welfare Ministry rejects Saeima’s proposal to ban child adoption by foreigners
Latvia’s Welfare Ministry has decided not to support Saeima’s Human Rights and Public Affairs Committee’s proposal to ban child adoption by foreigners. Instead the ministry proposes discussing improving existing regulations, as reported by minister Ramona Petravi?a’s advisor for communication J?nis Zari?š.
«Although the ban is planned only temporary until stricter regulations have been developed, experts are concerned preparation of amendments and approval may take a long time and many children may be denied the opportunity to be adopted,» says Zari?š.
Welfare Minister Ramona Petravi?a says that already every adoption case by foreigners is carefully evaluated, and in order to adopt children from Latvia, all applicants have to undergo an evaluation process: «In majority of cases this is the only option for these children to get a family, especially for teenagers and children with disabilities or other major health problems. Without a doubt the focus is always put on our country’s adopting parents, but if we cannot ensure this here, children should not stay in an institution for life. We cannot take away children’s rights to rewrite their lives.»
Welfare Minister’s advisor for disability policy affairs Jolanta Kalni?a-Levina stresses that the number of children adopted by foreigners is not high. Additionally, the most often teenagers are adopted abroad, as finding a family for them in Latvia is very difficult.
Teenagers also remain in the state system – institutions, without chances of ending up in a family, says Kalni?a-Levina: «We cannot claim every child in Latvia has the opportunity to live in a family in Latvia!»
«I believe the ban on adoption by foreigners would be ignoring children’s rights. And claiming that the children in orphanages, as citizens, are important for Latvia is, I believe, rather hypocritical.»
More on this topic: Until new regulations are ready, Saeima proposes banning child adoption by foreigners
Welfare Ministry’s deputy state secretary Jana Muižniece reminds that Latvian adopters most often pick one or two children under the age of six without major health problems. Foreigners are able to submit an application to adopt children of three or nine years of age. No age restrictions are applied for children with major health problems.
Muižniece also says that in the past three years foreigners have adopted seven disabled children and multiple dozen children with diagnoses like HIV, consequences of central nervous system disorders, mixed development disorders and mental problems. «Considering that Latvian adopters prefer children younger than six years, children who stay at orphanages and are of school age, as well as teenagers, brothers/sisters may have to remain in orphanages if it is not possible to provide them childhood in a family-like environment in Latvia. These children have no opportunity to live in a family-like environment abroad, too.»
The ministry does agree it is necessary to discuss foreign adoption topic and flaws in Latvia’s regulations.
This is why Welfare Ministry proposes forming a work group to develop law amendments. Among the topics on the table are the following: review of adoption permit issue, adoption by foreigners as a last option, as well as post-adoption monitoring measure until the adopted child reaches the age of 18.
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