Racine | Service Social International France
Genesis of the project:
?
Over the past few decades, a significant number of international adoptions have taken place from abroad to France. More and more people adopted in the 80s, 90s or early 2000s feel the legitimate need to research their origins and access their right to identity.
?
This research is a complex process and not without risk. Thus being able to support them is today the great challenge to be met by the central authorities and all those involved in adoption, as evidenced by recommendation number 31 of the special commission of July 2022 on the practical operation of the Hague Convention of 1993 on child protection and cooperation in intercountry adoption .
"The SC recalls C&R No 29 of the 2010 SC and No 21 of the 2015 SC, stressing the importance of providing adoptees and their families, including where applicable, their families of origin, with services specialized post-adoption and appropriate advice in the search for origins. States should promote the development of adoption counseling and post-adoption services”
In order to offer comprehensive, free and quality support to adoptees wishing to reconnect with their origins, ISS France launched on September 29, 2021, during a webinar, the RACINE pilot project (Research of origins, Support , Cooperation, Identification of partners, Narration, Listening).
Financially supported by the International Adoption Mission (MAI) of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Central Authority competent in matters of international adoption), this pilot project has been implemented since September 2021 (Phase 1) in three countries (Ethiopia, Haiti and Sri Lanka) and extended since September 2022 (Phase 2) to a fourth country (Madagascar).
?
The project implementation countries were chosen jointly by MAI and ISS France due to the large number of adoptions that have been carried out there and/or the large number of requests currently received by the French central authority:
Ethiopia (5,694 adoptions to France between 1979 and 2021)
Haiti (7,405 adoptions to France between 1979 and 2021)
Madagascar (4,162 adoptions to France between 1979 and 2021)
Sri Lanka (1,694 adoptions to France between 1979 and 2021)
This project aims to:
?
Orient, accompany and support adoptees and, where applicable, their biological family and their adoptive family in their efforts.
Produce summary sheets aimed at drawing up an inventory of adoption legislation and practices in these countries in recent years as well as current legislation in terms of tracing origins, possible obstacles and opportunities
Identify in these countries, relying on the global network of the ISS represented in 130 countries, reliable partners who have never served as intermediaries in adoptions, who can make the link with the central authorities, carry out research and support the locally adopted and build their capacity
Offer a space for exchange, listening and collective support between peers supported by the clinical support of professionals during discussion groups
Carry out a mapping of post-adoption support systems in connection with the search for origins available in France and in the countries of origin (phase 2)
The individual support offered by the SSI France within the framework of this project is based on the principles of action and the methodology of the SSI network and is adapted to the requests and needs of each one. The ISS offers in particular:
Listening, guidance, accompaniment and support before, during and after research
Support in obtaining the various adoption files and understanding the various documents
Procedures for researching biological parents (tracing)
Preparation for networking and media coverage of first contacts
Mediation between the adopted person and their families
Support in the country of origin (by the local partner - depending on the specificities of each country)
Collective support takes the form of the organization of discussion groups for people adopted from Ethiopia, Haiti, Madagascar or Sri Lanka to France. To be accessible to all, these groups organized by videoconference. They are run by professionals specializing in adoption and origin research. They aim to offer adoptees a space for discussion, support and reflection around the various questions raised by the search for personal origins through both peer support and clinical support.
SPEAKING GROUPS
As part of its RACINE project, ISS France offers discussion groups for all people who have been adopted in Ethiopia, Haiti, Madagascar and Sri Lanka. The purpose of these groups is to offer adoptees a space for discussion, support and reflection on the various questions raised by the search for personal origins.
Organized on the zoom platform, they will be co-facilitated by Dr. Fanny Cohen Herlem, qualified psychiatrist in child psychiatry, psychoanalyst and consultant psychiatrist with the SSI/CIR and by Mr. Jimmy Messineo, lawyer specializing in children's rights and legal international private family, coordinator of SSI France.
5 thematic groups are planned. You can register for one or all of these support groups (subject to availability) by responding directly to this form.
Tuesday January 17 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: “Origins and parenthood among adopted persons”
Tuesday, February 7 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: “My research, my story”
Tuesday March 14 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: “If I only knew! If I had known ! »
Tuesday April 11 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: “Between hopes, false hopes and despair”
Tuesday May 9 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.: “From research to encounter”
Assessment of phase 1:
?
On Friday, September 24, 2022, a report on phase 1 was publicly presented during a second webinar organized by SSI France, in which 86 professionals from adoption services from departments, AABs and associations of adopted persons were present.
Principle results :
28 adopted persons individually accompanied including:
12 adopted in Haiti
11 in Sri Lanka
5 in Ethiopia
4 adoptees whose families have been found and connections made
3 people adopted from Haiti
1 person adopted from Sri Lanka
14 adoptees took part in discussion groups, including:
8 adopted from Haiti,
4 from Sri Lanka;
2 from Ethiopia.
Among these people, 3 were already accompanied individually by the SSI and one wanted to be followed later.
3 analysis sheets of legislation and practices were produced (Haiti, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka);
1 formal partnership signed with an association that supports adoptees in Haiti.
1 strengthened partnership within the framework of the project has been set up with the SSI member in Sri Lanka
1 informal partnership exists with an association of Ethiopian adoptees .
Perspectives for phase 2:
The September 24 webinar was also an opportunity to launch phase 2. In this phase, the ISS intends to deploy the project in Madagascar, update its analysis sheets, strengthen its partnerships, support more adoptees individually and collectively.
Furthermore, in partnership with the Voix des Adoptés , the ISS France will carry out a mapping of post-adoption resources in connection with the search for existing origins in France and in the countries of origin in order to be able to better support adoptees.
Mirlène was adopted from Haiti by a French couple at the age of 7.
She remembers being picked up by a man from her home and taken to the orphanage and then being adopted a year later.
She contacts the SSI France to help her find her biological family. The SSI France helps him to recover all the elements that can help to understand his story and provides him with listening and support. Mirlène also participates in discussion groups organized by SSI France, which also offers her peer support.
?
At the same time, SSI France mandates its partner in Haiti who manages to find the biological mother who has been looking for her daughter for years. She explains that she wanted to entrust her daughter to the orphanage so that she could be cared for and educated and that she did not understand the signed documents. The SSI France is preparing Mirlène for a videoconference exchange with her mother. The Haitian partner prepares the mother. Meetings by videoconference in the presence of the partner who serves as interpreter are organised.
Mirlène is reunited with her biological mother.
DO YOU WANT TO START AN ORIGIN SEARCH?
Before embarking on a search for origins, ISS France invites you to read the guide written by our colleagues at ISS/CIR.
For more information on the RACINE project, do not hesitate to contact us.
?
iss-ssi-france@droitdenfant.org
?
?