Expressing concerns about the illegal adoption of children orphaned by COVID-19, the Supreme

Court has directed State Governments and Union Territories to act against NGOs which are

indulging in illegal adoption."No adoption of affected children should be permitted contrary to

the provisions of the JJ Act, 2015.Invitation to persons for adoption of orphans...

Hindu couple seek no-objection certificate to adopt child born to Christian parents

The Delhi High Court has issued notice to the Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) on a plea by a Hindu couple, living in the U.S., seeking a no-objection certificate (NOC) to adopt a child born to Christian parents.

“The present petition raises an issue of enormous importance as it relates to a legal vacuum in respect of adoptions carried out prior to the coming into force of the Juvenile Justice [Care and Protection of children] Model Rules, 2016... in respect of a child born to Christian parents, as in the present case,” Justice Prathiba M. Singh remarked in a March 15 order.

As per the couple, they adopted a minor child, who was born on December 11, 2014, from Ferozepur, Punjab. The biological parents of the child got the legal formalities done for completion of adoption of the child with them by preparing an adoption deed which was signed and executed between the biological and the adoptive parents of the child.

The adoption deed was duly witnessed by the village sarpanch as well as the relative – social worker and was also registered on December 18, 2014 under the provisions of the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act (HAMA), 1956, the couple said.

A Scottish mother forced to give her baby up for adoption in the 1970s says an apology for the cruel practice would "lift women out of shame".

The Scottish government is facing calls to issue an official apology to Scottish mothers who were pressured into giving up their children.

It is estimated 60,000 women had babies adopted simply because they were unmarried.

MSPs debated the issue of a government apology at Holyrood on Wednesday.

In the 50s, 60s and 70s, many women were coerced into handing over their babies. Many were denied access to housing and social benefits which may have allowed them to have kept them.

A group of children from the island of La Réunion off the coast of East Africa demand an apology from the French government. They were 'taken' by the French authorities in the 1960s and 1970s and moved to the French countryside. Parents were often made false promises. After their arrival in France, the children were sometimes declared orphans or given a new identity.

"We are now 50 years later. Not one government has done anything for us. It is high time for an apology," says Inel Annette. He is a member of an interest group founded by the children of the time.

They have engaged the National Ombudsman in France. It is too late for legal proceedings: the facts are time-barred. But apologies and possible compensation should take away some of the suffering.

An investigation has shown that between 1962 and 1984 the French authorities collected a total of more than 2000 children from La Réunion, which is part of France as an overseas department. The children were almost all under 15; there were also babies and toddlers.

Inel Annette, one of the children of La Réunion FRANK RENOUT/NOS

Treating the most vulnerable young people as a money-making opportunity is wrong. The care review must lead to change

It is impossible, even for an appointee regarded by critics as too close to government and with overly restricted terms of reference, to look at children’s homes without being appalled by what is going on. That is the conclusion to be drawn from remarks this week by Josh MacAlister, who is several months into a long-awaited review of children’s social care. He warned that the sector is broken and that operators must cut “indefensible” levels of profit and improve young people’s experiences.

Recent years have seen numerous reports and complaints by official bodies about a dysfunctional system, in which councils on the verge of bankruptcy pay ever increasing prices (up 40% since 2013, to about £200,000 a year per child) while profits soar. The top 20 private providers are making £250m profit annually from the provision of children’s residential care in England, Wales and Scotland and the delivery of fostering services.

Opaque ownership structures make the money hard to track. Research earlier this year found some providers recording profits of more than 20% of income, while four of the seven largest provider groups had debt and liability levels that exceeded their assets, leading to concerns about future stability. Private operators now control around three-quarters of all children’s home places in England and Wales. Councils frequently have no other option than to pay whatever they ask.

Even if the children in these homes were thriving, excess profits would be a problem, particularly given the dire state of local government finances. But far worse than the waste of financial resources is the attitude to human lives and relationships that goes with it. While most children’s homes, along with most private fostering agencies, get a good or outstanding rating, Ofsted – which oversees them – believes that the current regulatory regime is unfit for purpose, casting doubt on these reports’ reliability. On its own, the fact that 60% of children are moved out of their local area when placed in a home, with all the disruption to social life and education that this entails, shows that something has gone terribly wrong.

As part of a push to activate multiple child support mechanisms, the State Child Protection Society has opened up applications for families to foster children.

The Delhi Woman and Child Development department has released guidelines for the sponsorship programme that will provide financial assistance of Rs. 2000 monthly to children who are either orphaned and living with extended family, or who have a lone parent incapable of providing for them.

Now, child protection agencies are also inviting applications from families which would like to foster children in child care institutions, orphaned children or those separated from their families.

The eligibility conditions for families to apply to foster a child are:

Delhi News

In a case where a 2-year old girl-child was given in adoption by her biological mother to a couple

by executing a notarised document, without complying with the rigours of the JJ Act, the

Supreme Court on Friday brought the child out of the care of the CWC and entrusted interim

custody to the adoptive parents.

March order of the Bombay High Court refusing permission to the couple to take over custody of

On 9 June, a debate on adoption was held in the House of Representatives with outgoing Minister of Legal Protection Dekker. During this debate, the report of the Joustra Committee, the temporary ban on intercountry adoption and the minister's exploration into an alternative public law system and stronger international supervision were discussed.

Room divided over adoption stop

The House appreciates that the Joustra report has been published and believes that Minister Dekker's apologies on behalf of the Dutch government are appropriate, because the conclusions are painful and confrontational. Opinions are divided about the temporary shutdown.

Intercountry adoption subject to conditions

Lisa van Ginneken (D'66) believes that intercountry adoption under the right guarantees can be a solution to help a child and wants to reopen the procedure for consent in principle. Ulysse Ellian (VVD) states that intercountry adoption could come from a select group of countries. Barbara Kathmann (PvdA) wants to lift the adoption freeze and offer customization. She calls for a reconsideration of the financial support for searches of adoptees. Roelof Bisschop (SGP) asks for an exception for the adoption of brothers or sisters of a child that has already been adopted. Can these parents still get a permission in principle?

For several years now, children from Hungary have been adopted in the Netherlands through the Dutch Adoption Foundation (NAS). In order to get a better picture of this adoptive country, two employees of the Adoption Services, Zindzi Folmer and Annemarie Vernooij, traveled to Hungary in the spring of 2016 to take a look at homes and schools. In this article, they describe some of the information they gathered along the way on their work trip.

During our stay in Hungary we visited, among other things, the child protection services in various provinces and the Central Authority in Budapest. We also visited a children's home and met a foster family.

Reception within the province

The entire system of child protection, adoption, foster care and guardianship matters is provincially regulated in Hungary. There are nineteen provinces. If a child is placed out of home, it is first taken care of in foster care within the province. Even if the child later qualifies for adoption, adoptive parents are initially sought within this province before a nationwide search is made for suitable parents. An advantage of this system is that child protection officers personally know all the children in their province, as well as the foster parents and prospective adoptive parents in the area. Matching is therefore not only based on a paper file, but also on the basis of personal contact.

In Hungary, the stability of the living environment of children is of paramount importance. Children stay in the same place for a long time and ideally do not experience transfers after the out-of-home placement until they go back to the biological family or are adopted. If this is not possible due to an extra care need (for example because a specialist lives too far away), this will be deviated from. But the policy is that children stay in one place and, in principle, always with a foster family. Many children who are adopted are therefore first able to build a bond with their foster parents.

The Government has heard calls from the intercountry adoption sector, particularly adult adoptees, for greater involvement in service design and development. In response to these calls, the Government is holding consultations to ensure that the Intercountry Adoption Family Support Service (ICAFSS) continues to meet the needs of those who have experienced intercountry adoption.

This consultation aims to capture the voices of the intercountry adoption community in the redesign of the service, recognising the significant benefits gained from the involvement of those with lived experience.

To ensure that the ICAFSS continues to meet the needs of the community, we encourage responses to the Discussion Paper from adoptees and their families, prospective adoptive parents, service providers, professionals, academics and other stakeholders.

Supports

If you or a family member need immediate help or counselling, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or beyondblue on 1300 224 636.