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Lesotho lays foundation for foreign adoptions of local kids

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Lesotho-Children-Adoptions     Lesotho lays foundation for foreign adoptions of local kids  
APA-Maseru (Lesotho) The Lesotho government on Monday adopted a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to regulate the adoption of children from the country, and now the document awaits foreign adoption agencies’ signatures this month.
The Director in the Department of Social Welfare in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Limakatso Chisepo, said that the MOU would allow foreign nationals through their adoption agencies to work with the Lesotho government in adopting Basotho children.
These include the adoption agencies from the USA, Canada , the Netherlands and Sweden.
Chisepo said that the MOU follows recommendations made by a commission of inquiry whose task was to investigate all forms of abuse among Basotho children living in foreign countries since July 2007.
She said the commission has, among other things, recommended that the suspension of adoptions be lifted as no forms of abuse were identified by the appointed commission.
“As soon as the MOU is signed, adoptions will start with immediate effect, as adoption applications are coming in large numbers from foreign countries,” she added.
Reports from the Ministry of Health on adoptions showed that a lot of applications regarding adoptions come from foreigners and that those in demand for adoption are minors up to 18 years old.
  MBR/nm/APA 2009-02-02 
2009 Feb 2