Int'l adoptions to resume soon

Int'l adoptions to resume soon

Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, Oct 21 - The government has almost completed work on listing international adoption agencies and Nepal-based orphanage homes which will restart the process of adoption of Nepali children by foreign nationals.  The government had stopped taking new applications for adoption in March 2007 following irregularities found in the process.
The government came up with new provisions for the registration of international adoption agencies and Nepali orphanages in June 2008. Following the new rules, applications had been called from interested agencies and orphanages. The government is in the final stages of processing the applications.
"The approved adoption agencies would be called to submit additional documents within a couple of weeks as the process of listing international adoption agencies and orphanage homes has almost been completed," said Prakash Kumar Adhikari, law officer at the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare. "This will pave the way for inter-country adoption."
As per the new criteria, the interested international agencies need to pay orphanages USD 10,000, such agencies should have at least three years' experience and they need to have permission from their respective countries for the purpose.
According to Adhikari, 66 international adoption agencies have submitted applications to the ministry. Of them, 58 applications are close to being approved and the rest are being reviewed. On the other hand, 38 Nepali orphanages have been selected. Only these approved orphanages can give away Nepali children for adoption. 
The process of inter-country adoption was halted for months after reports that many children's homes were pocketing hefty amounts of money in foreign currency from interested foreign couples throwing all ethical norms to the winds. 
There were also cases of agents with expertise in bypassing regulations and due process to illegally procure Nepali babies to foreigners for adoption in exchange for large sums of money.
The government only cleared the blocked files on inter-country child adoption following the joint appeal made by the Prime Ministers of Spain, France and Italy in November 2007.
But no new adoption applications have been entertained. However, officials at the ministry said the foreign countries' respective embassies have been repeatedly asking about the process.
This time around, the new terms and conditions will have teeth to curb the rampant corruption and loopholes in the process, claim ministry officials. As per the new conditions, only approved agencies and orphanage homes would be allowed to submit lists of potential foster parents and suitable children for inter-country adoption to the ministry. Foster parents will be enabled to select the children from such lists.
As per the new terms and conditions, the whole process will be dealt with in coordination among the adoption recommendation committee, concerned embassies and interested parents without the involvement of orphanages.
Altogether 2,244 children have been adopted by foreigners since 2000 with the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare approving such adoptions. According to records kept at the ministry, Spain, Italy, United States, France and Germany are the largest receiving countries of Nepali babies.