Canada: Backlog in Philippines matching

Philippines

Backlog in Philippines matching -- The Intercountry Adoption Board (ICAB) in the Philippines has advised of a significant delay in matching Filipino children to prospective adoptive parents because the children increasingly don't meet the preferences of approved parents. While most parents prefer a healthy child under two, most children cleared for overseas adoption are six years old and up, belong to a sibling group of three or more children, with medical/surgical/psychological concerns and/or with a negative background (product of schizophrenic/mentally retarded mother, product of incest). Parents will have to wait longer for a child proposal unless they are open to accepting older or special needs children. To date, ICAB is still serving the approved parents from 2003. [Alberta Children's Services, www.child.gov.ab.ca/whatwedo/adoption/page.cfm, February 2005]