The images of severely neglected Romanian orphans in bare children's homes are still etched on the retina. But the images need adjustment. "The Romanians really tackled the problems."

by Runa Hellinga June 29, 2006 , 11:03 am

BUCHAREST - From January 1, Romania will definitively ban international adoptions under pressure from the EU. Brussels has demanded such a ban to end suspicions of child trafficking around adopted babies. For example, a year ago there was a scandal surrounding a hospital where mothers were told that their babies had died, when in reality the children had been sold abroad.

To put an end to this kind of abuse, Romania has had a moratorium on international adoptions for two years now. Not everyone is happy about that. The US, Spain and Italy, countries where Romanian adopted children are very popular, argue in favor of keeping adoption options open. They do not deny the problem of child trafficking, but believe that the rules should be tightened up. According to the three countries, children are ultimately better off in a foreign adoptive family than in a Romanian home.

Anyone who remembers the horrific TV images of the early 1990s can only sympathize with that point of view. But those images need to be adjusted. “The problems in the children's homes have really tackled the Romanians. The situation there has improved a lot in recent years," said a Western diplomat in Bucharest.

Communication on the rights of the child

(Item for adoption)

- President Barroso welcomed the fact that this important initiative had returned to the

Group’s agenda for a final political steer, before being addressed as a common initiative

to the Commission for adoption on 4 July. He thanked VP Frattini, all the Members of

 Pune  Page One Tuesday , June 27, 2006 


It may soon be curtains for babies’ day out at Preet Mandir

Child & Welfare Dept seeks Centre’s nod to clip agency’s global wings

Sunanda Mehta

Pune, June 26 FOLLOWING the recent controversy over alleged malpractices by the city-based adoption agency, Preet Mandir, the State government has sought the Centre’s permission to cancel the inter-country adoption licence. For Preet Mandir’s head J S Bhasin, who not too long ago attributed Pune’s emergence as an important centre for adoption in the country — ‘‘...this is the mandi, the market for babies’’ — this has come as a rude shock.

Now, The Commissioner of Women and Child Welfare Department has initiated a detailed inquiry into the working of Preet Mandir and has recommended the State government to cancel Preet Mandir’s inter-country adoption licence. This licence allows the agency to put children up for adoption to foreign nationals — a route that is allegedly used by adoption agencies to make easy money.



‘‘The State government has forwarded the request (of cancelling the inter-country licence) to the Central government and we are waiting for orders from them,’’ Women and Child Welfare commissioner Ashwini Kumar told Pune Newsline.

In fact, the Adoptive Coordinating Agency (ACA) has brought to the notice of the commissioner as well as the New Delhi-based Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) allegations about Preet Mandir’s unfair adoption practices. One of the complaints against Preet Mandir is that it discourages Indian parents from adoptions so that they can go in more for foreign adoptions, Nishita Shah, chairperson of ACA that clears all adoptions in the city, said.

As per the government rules, a child can be put up for adoption to foreign parents only if at least three Indian parents refuse that child. The rules also state that Indian parents should account for at least 50 per cent of all adoptions from a centre. As per the statistics with ACA, for the financial year 2005-06, Preet Mandir put up 100 children for foreign adoptions as against 62 for Indians.

However, Bhasin dismisses these statistics as misleading. ‘‘Sixty-six per cent of children were put up for Indian parents (including NRIs in 2005-06) and only 33 per cent for foreigners,’’ he said.

Shah said Preet Mandir came in for discussion at almost every meeting of ACA. ‘‘There have been many complaints about the agency charging exorbitant amounts from foreigners and we have brought it to the notice of the commissioner and CARA,’’ she said.

Commissioner Kumar admitted that they have received complaints of Preet Mandir’s alleged malpractices and said they were also inquiring into the allegation of child trafficking. ‘‘Though nothing has come to light as yet to support the allegation, if child trafficking is on then it is a very serious issue,’’ he said.

Preet Mandir has three adoption centres — two in Pune and one in Aurangabad — and is one of the largest adoption agencies in the State where people from all parts of the country and world come for adoption. Bhasin has an explanation for that too. ‘‘We do not refuse a child to anybody. We understand everyone’s requirements and make sure they get the child they want,’’ he had told this paper a few weeks ago.

On Monday, Bhasin again reiterated that the charges were all baseless and misleading and said they would respond to CARA that has issued a show-cause notice to it.

Viewing cable 06BUCHAREST1035, ROMANIA: AMBASSADOR AND PM DISCUSS ENERGY, ECONOMY AND ADOPTIONS

Reference ID

Created

Released

Classification

Savithri's Modus Operandi

How Agencies Flout

Central Guidelines

Sequence Of Major Events In

The Child Adoption Racket

Zahara Family Wants her Back !!

Will Angie Lose Zahara?

The birth family of Angelina Jolie’s daughter wants her to bring Zahara home to Ethiopia”

Will Angie Lose Zahara?

The birth family of Angelina Jolie’s daughter wants her to bring Zahara home to Ethiopia

Broekman AdoptieProcedure

Meer info vergunninghouder

Afspraak op 28 juli 2005 om te gaan praten bij het Jugendsamt.

Beslissing adoptie via Duitsland.

13 oktober 2005 hebben wij al onze formulieren opgestuurd naar het Jugendsamt. Tussen deze formulieren zit een vragenlijst die een leidraad geven tijdens de gesprekken bij ons thuis. Ook geven we een verklaring van goed gedrag, gezondheidsverklaring en vermogensverklaring af.

JusticeElementContactExtension number(s)E-mailDateOur referenceOndelWerp-~ - -Department of JusticeDirectorate General for Prevention, Youth and SanctionsDirectorate of Judicial Youth PolicyPostal address: PO Box 20301, 2500 EH The HagueAt:- the Adoption Services Foundation:-the permit holders for intercountry adoption;- the Child Protection Council;- the Youth Care Inspectorate; and-the Adoption Parent ConsultationDepartment of ControlJ.A.Th. Vroomans(070) 370 6552i.vroomans@minius.nlJune 19, 2006OBP/32Notice of termination of work in the context ofadoption mediation by the Happy Child foundation--visiting addressSchedeldoekshaven 1002511 EX The HagueTeleloon (070) 3 70 69 73Fax (070) 3 70 79 75www.justitie.nlAdditional answer thedate and our referenceto report. Just want youone thing on your mindto deal with.-- ~ -~--By letter dated December 23, 2005, I informed you of my decision toto grant a license to the Happy Child foundation in Nijmegen tomediate regarding the inclusion of foreigners in families in the Netherlandschildren for adoption. The aim of the foundation was exclusively to:focus on mediation in the admission of children from the People's RepublicChina. For this reason, the condition was attached to the permit that:authorization would also be obtained from the Chinese authorities. If thisIf this were not possible before June 1, 2006, I would revoke the permit.I recently received the message from the board of the foundation that they haveconcluded the activities in the field of international mediationend adoption. This means that the funds granted to the foundationpermit is revoked. This decision is retroactive to June 1, 2006.I trust that I have informed you sufficiently.Yours faithfully.The Minister of Justice,on their behalf,the Director of Judicial Youth Policy,~-~ =:::oN.P. LevenkampIJ

Justitie Onderdeel Contactpersoon Doorkiesnummer(s) E-mail Datum Ons kenmerk OndelWerp -~ - - Ministerie van Justitie Directoraat-Generaal Preventie, Jeugd en Sancties Directie Justitieel Jeugdbeleid Postadres: Postbus 20301, 2500 EH Den Haag Aan: - de Stichting Adoptievoorzieningen: -de vergunninghouders interlandelijke adoptie; - de Raad voor de Kinderbescherming; - de Inspectie Jeugdzorg; en -het AdoptieOuderOverleg afdeling Besturing J.A.Th. Vroomans (070) 370 6552 i.vroomans@minius.nl 19 juni 2006 OBP/32 Bericht van beëindiging werkzaamheden in het kader van adoptiebemiddeling door de stichting Happy Child -- Bezoekadres Schedeldoekshaven 100 2511 EX Den Haag Teleloon (070) 3 70 69 73 Fax (070) 3 70 79 75 www.justitie.nl Bijbeantwoording de datum en ons kenmerk vermelden. Wiltu slechts één zaak in uw briel behandelen. -- ~ -~-- Bij brief van 23 december 2005 stelde ik u op de hoogte van mijn besluit om aan de stichting Happy Child te Nijmegen vergunning te verlenen om te bemiddelen inzake de opneming in gezinnen in Nederland van buitenlandse kinderen met het oog op adoptie. Doel van de stichting was zich uitsluitend te richten op bemiddeling bij de opneming van kinderen uit de Volksrepubliek China. Om deze reden werd aan de vergunning de voorwaarde gekoppeld dat ook vergunning zou worden verkregen van de Chinese autoriteiten. Indien dit niet zou lukken vóór 1juni 2006, zou ik de vergunning intrekken. Onlangs ontving ik het bericht van het bestuur van de stichting dat men heeft besloten de activiteiten op het gebied van bemiddeling bij interlandelijke adoptie te beëindigen. Dit betekent dat de aan de stichting verleende vergunning wordt ingetrokken. Dit besluit werkt terug tot 1 juni 2006. Ik vertrouw u hiermee voldoende te hebben geïnformeerd. Hoogachtend. De Minister van Justitie, namens deze, de Directeur Justitieel Jeugdbeleid, ~-~ =:::o N.P. Levenkamp I J