On Friday, a newborn girl was found abandoned at 146B, Jain housing society in Sion. Soon after the police were informed, the baby was rushed to the Lokmanya Tilak hospital in Sion.

A local social worker, Chirag Shah, alerted the police who registered an offence against an unknown person for abandoning their baby. The baby has been admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of the hospital for precaution and is healthy.

Shah, who runs the Sion Welfare Forum and Wadala Citizen Forum, informed that around 2 PM, his friend and a resident of the Jain society, alerted him about the baby. They then alerted the police and checked out CCTV footage which showed them that a lady left the little girl behind.

The baby's diaper indicated that it was born at the Sion Hospital. The police has reached out to the parents of all the babies delivered at Sion Hospital around a week ago. One set of parents, however, are untraceable. The police are currently tracing their location.

The baby's image has also been shared to the neighbouring police stations in order to find out the parents as soon as possible.

As COVID-19 has ravaged our nation, it has been particularly heart-wrenching to read stories about children who have become orphans, losing both parents to the disease. It’s impossible to know exactly how many are affected. Official numbers indicate we have lost more than 2.4 lakh people to COVID, with real numbers expected to be much higher. We can safely estimate that many thousands of young children have lost one or more caregivers, and the remaining family members may not be ready or capable to take them in.

Desperate WhatsApp messages have been doing the rounds, telling horror stories of young children left to fend for themselves and advertising children for ‘adoption’. While surely those who forwarded the messages meant well, every single one of us must know that it is irresponsible and illegal to offer or receive children in this way. In fact, such orphaned children are more susceptible, now more than ever, to land in the traps of traffickers or criminals as people scramble to ‘help’ without following proper processes.

It is a common misperception that child shelters are a better option to care for an orphaned child. While it is true many child shelters do a good job of taking care of kids in need, it is also a sad fact that most of them will never assess the children under their care for adoption. Where Are India’s Children conducted a survey in 2019-2020, and found that most shelters keep the children indefinitely, surviving on donations from the public until they are old enough to fend for themselves. While this fate is better than being abandoned on the streets, the child does not receive the same care, attention and sense of belonging that parents can give, has less chances of a good education and a stable future, and can be susceptible to abuse and trafficking. The shelters are also suffering during COVID, with workers not able to attend to the children and donations on the wane.

We must help orphans who don’t have relatives able or willing to take care of them to reach a legal adoptive ‘forever family’ instead, which is much more sustainable and provides permanent rehabilitation for children.

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Parents who have adopted children from India have appealed for compassion, understanding and support after the tragic story of a Maltese man who contracted COVID-19 as he went to pick up his newly-adopted daughter from New Delhi and died just before he was medically evacuated to Malta.

“What people don’t understand is that we go to pick up our children. The pandemic will not stop us. If anything, it will make you want to get your child home safely. They say you will go to hell and back for your children. A pandemic won’t stop a parent,” Nicolette Borg Vassallo says.

India is facing a human catastrophe as COVID-19 spirals out of control, leaving hospitals unable to cope amid a shortage of oxygen concentrators. The country remains a popular country for child adoption.

Borg Vassallo and her family made the headlines in May last year when their trip to India to pick up their second adoptive daughter turned into a nightmare as the pandemic forced them into lockdown in a hotel room for six interminable weeks. They eventually returned to Malta where they have settled down, a different fate to the Barbara family.

She understands the urgency that Ivan Barbara and his wife felt to pick up their child and attributes critical comments from the public – claiming the couple should have stayed in Malta – to ignorance about the realities faced by adoptive parents.

In 20 countries, children and young people are said to have experienced abuse in SOS Children's Village Aid facilities. An independent commission is to clarify the incidents.

Vienna - “In an atmosphere of trust and reliability”, children and young people should grow up in SOS Children's Villages. At least that's what it says on the organization's website. In 20 countries in Asia and Africa, young people are said to have become victims of violence and sexual abuse in institutions and projects. The aid organization made the child protection violations public on Thursday in Austria and set up an independent commission to deal with the incidents. According to its own information, indications of mismanagement and misappropriation of funds should also be investigated.

At first it was not known exactly which countries are involved. The sub-organization in Germany announced in a press release on Thursday that there were also allegations against employees of a facility in Bavaria . These relate to incidents in the 2000s. A work-up has been initiated. "The information available as well as the results from the first discussions that have already taken place show that there have been serious incidents of educational misconduct and allegations of abuse," explains Prof. Keupp, who is leading the investigation. Results are planned for autumn 2021.

SOS Children's Villages apologize to alleged victims of abuse

The number of victims is said to be rather small worldwide. The managing director of SOS Children's Villages in Austria, Elisabeth Hauser, spoke of "serious misconduct by employees and serious allegations". The children concerned had been "inflicted violence", it had come "to mistreatment up to sexual abuse ". Hauser assured a "relentless and transparent processing" of the incidents.

Becoming a mother in corona time, these women went through it. There was no question of maternity parties or a procession of admirers. 'Window visit is very memorable.'

'The world became smaller, so we came together more'

Thessa Sepers (41) from Uithoorn has been the mother of adopted son Ian (almost 1) since July.

For eleven years, Thessa Sepers (41) has a great wish: to become a mother. Unfortunately, that does not happen automatically. “We soon ended up in the medical mill. We felt that hospital visits should not get the upper hand and we decided that we would like to adopt. ”

The adoption process also turns out to be complicated; several adoptions fail. "We have redesigned the nursery three times." A phone call in May last year changes everything: a baby was born in the United States in need of adoptive parents. The biological mother is given a choice from the files of three adoptive parents and chooses the couple from Uithoorn.

Hundreds of additional children may have been sent overseas for adoption than originally thought.

Evidence that at least 356 previously unknown Irish children were sent to Northern Ireland, Great Britain and a range of other countries for adoption was given to the Department of Health over 20 years ago but never made public.

Up until now, the State has only ever acknowledged that 2,132 children were sent abroad to be adopted between the late 1940s and the early 1970s - and all but 51 to the USA.

The original figures were published in the seminal book, Banished Babies in 1997 by journalist Mike Milotte and were based on Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) passport data compiled after a large archive of records detailing the adoption of children to the USA was discovered in the National Archives in 1996.

However, explosive new evidence discovered in Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) records reveals that at least 356 additional children were sent to a minimum of 13 countries between 1921 and 1994.

Rani (39) from Maarheeze was just 2 years old when she was adopted from her native India by a Flemish couple. She soon ran into numerous problems with her adoptive parents. She recently found out that her biological mother is probably still alive and has started a search. "My adoptive parents kept this from me for years."

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Rani was picked up in India by her adoptive father. “I had tapeworms in my intestines when I entered Belgium. In all likelihood I was ill and therefore my biological mother had to give me up, ”says Rani.

Vienna - On Thursday, SOS Children's Villages Austria announced that children and young people in 20 countries in Africa and Asia have been victims of violence, mistreatment and sexual abuse. The number of victims was not mentioned, it was in any case "small", it said to the APA. As the management of SOS Children's Villages around the world has now announced, there is a need for action in 50 of a total of 3,000 facilities of the national SOS Children's Villages associations.

Also mismanagement and taking advantage

According to the company's own statements, this came out of external reviews. Previously, there had been investigations into the areas of sexual abuse, advantage and corruption in 22 cases. According to its own information, the umbrella association of SOS Children's Villages has known since 2020 that known incidents have not been consistently investigated. In November the investigation of the 22 cases was commissioned. The results were presented to the international Senate on April 26th.

Overall, the 50 affected projects deal with violations of child protection as well as cases of mismanagement and personal gain. This includes limited financial audit reports that are submitted by independent auditors, but also cases of violations of child and youth protection guidelines that are documented in the annual child protection report, according to the Munich-based management of SOS Children's Villages worldwide in a statement sent to the APA .

No details given

New Delhi: The Delhi government's Department of Women and Child Development has now helped identify around 100 Child Care Institutions (CCIs) where children orphaned by Covid-19 can be housed and taken care of. The department has also set up two isolation facilities, where the children can be quarantined and tested before being allowed to mingle with the other children in dormitories. Rashmi Singh, Special Secretary and Director Social Welfare, Women and Child Development Dept, said the CCIs have been mapped as per the age group of children (less than 6 years and over 6 years). "Children must be produced immediately before Child Welfare Committees (CWCs) which are taking a day to day hearings even in virtual mode," she said. Also Read - Daily cases under 2K &189 deaths As per the Special Secretary, they have set up a central control unit at the Department of WCD, where the mapping is done, needs are assessed and resources are coordinated with the help of CSR, private sector, and civil society organisations. The unit also makes sure that officials of the district administration and other statutory bodies can work together. The DTF, comprising the District Women and Child Officer, DCPU, CWC Chairperson, a nominee from the district administration, and the DCPCR, can act on grievances and inputs and help kickstart the mechanism to secure the child. "We connect various response mechanisms including taking support from DM, the juvenile police unit for and action and investigation on cases such as illegal adoption notices," one official said. Also Read - For one day, cops drop fines, educate violators instead As per the official, in every district, CWCs, District Child Protection Units (DCPUs), social worker members of JJBs have been asked to create awareness and reach out to citizens with the right messages and public education on laws meant for children. At city hospitals, awareness will be created so that stakeholders get information about such cases. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also held a meeting in this regard with stakeholders. "Several well-meaning individuals and compassionate families may come forward to adopt Covid-orphaned children without being aware of the adoption laws and procedures," Chinmoy Biswal, PRO (Delhi Police) said. Also Read - As Gurugram extends lockdown, domestic workers, street vendors stare at grim future As per PRO, they have to follow the CARA guidelines for legal adoption. In addition, the official said, "Chances of children getting trafficked also cannot be ruled out." On the other hand, DCPCR chairperson Anurag Kundu, who earlier raised this issue, said," Do not believe anyone who says he, she can give you the child for adoption. They are either lying or misleading or simply involved in illegal practices." Meenu Mehta, Chairperson, CWC-1, said," A Whatsapp group was created with all the district CWCs, senior officers of DECD, CCIs in charges. We received two such cases related to fake child racket adoption messages in the group and immediate action was taken."

http://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/daily-cases-under-2k-189-deaths-441074?infinitescroll=1

Sharing picture and messages to collect funds, sponsorship and invite people for adoption of kids who lost one or both their parents due to Covid-19 will be a cognizable offence in Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Friday. Those found to be involved in such activities will be booked for selling and buying of kids under the Juvenile Justice Act 2016, said an officer of the Women and child development department.

Child rights expert and lawyer Anant Kumar said, “Good intention is immaterial in these circumstances. Adopting children illegally and selling or purchasing them are serious crimes and are punishable with jail terms from 3 to 7 years. There should be a system to check the fake information and or any information which promotes illegal adoption and buying and selling of kids. Registering case against wrongdoers is a right step to stop such illegal activities”

The department decided to take this step after messages, video appeals and photos of kids and bodies of their parents were shared by people to raise funds for the kids. When the officers of the department verified the authenticity of messages, many were found fake, said the officer quoted above.

To prevent online fraud in name of adopting children, the Madhya Pradesh government will issue an order to all districts to book such persons under section 81 of the Juvenile Justice Act which has a provision of rigorous imprisonment of five years and a fine up to ?1 lakh, said Suresh Tomar, joint director, women and child development department.

Three days ago, a woman died of Covid-19 in Shivpuri district leaving behind her three kids. Different organisations started posting a video of the body of the woman to raise funds for her kids with a message that the kids lost their father two years ago and now they have lost their mother as well. A social media post claimed that the children are starving and locked inside their house.