Foreign adoption freeze is new episode in long-running saga: 'Realize that this can be hard'
New procedures for intercountry adoption have been stopped for the time being. This is the result of a decision by the Flemish government not to recognize a central adoption service. “This is not a simple measure,” says Welfare Minister Hilde Crevits (CD&V).
Giving a child from abroad a better life in Belgium. That is the motivation for prospective parents to adopt. However, it has often become apparent that such adoptions do not proceed according to the book. Recently, an investigation into the files of twelve adoptees from Ethiopia showed that not all of them had been given up voluntarily. Information about their biological parents in their files also often turned out to be incorrect. The sector was plagued by scandals on the one hand, and by a major legal battle on the other.
This has now led to an adoption freeze. No service is anymore recognized to carry out intercountry adoptions. The government wants to wait until a new adoption decree has been adopted. “I realize that this is not a simple measure,” says Crevits. “This can be hard. But this way, everyone involved will have the opportunity to organize themselves in accordance with the new decree.”
The decision is a new episode in a long-running saga. The government hoped that the three existing adoption services would merge into one, because all expertise would then be brought together in one place. But the water between the different services turned out to be too deep. This spring, Het Klein Mirakel was designated by the Growing Up Agency as the organization that should be responsible for all future adoptions. But two other services, Ray of Hope and Fiac - which merged into VIA - objected to this.
That objection appears to be well-founded, an advisory committee ruled. The current legal framework does not have enough legal basis to recognize just one adoption service. So Crevits has to wait until there is a new adoption decree. Then she wants to make an appeal to eventually recognize an adoption service. “I regret how those services interacted with each other,” says Crevits. “It would have been more convenient for everyone if an agreement had been made.”
SCREENING
The result is therefore an adoption pause. Because there is no longer a recognized adoption service, new files are no longer started. To be clear: prospective parents who are already in so-called 'mediation' can continue with it without any problems. The government is also not saying a final farewell to the practice of intercountry adoptions, it only wants to put an end to the abuses. That is why there has also been a screening of the countries of origin.
“A total of twenty countries have been screened,” says Bruno Van Obbergen, the boss of the Growing Up Agency. “Morocco, Vietnam, Haiti and Gambia have been given a code red. Adoptions from those four countries are therefore no longer possible. In addition, there are a number of countries in 'orange': the intention is to see on site whether we can eliminate existing problems. The majority still have code green.”
About eighty candidate parents are currently in mediation. They can therefore continue with it, although some have to be reoriented due to a code red. In addition, Crevits wants parents and adoptees to report if they think that things have gone wrong for them in the past. In two weeks, more than thirty families have already registered through her call.
Many adoptees and an expert panel have already urged an adoption pause, because the risks of fraud are too great. It seems that they have now won their battle after all. The theme has been widely discussed in political discussions in recent times due to all the scandals. “This is the only logical decision taking into account the many testimonies about malpractice and the impasse in which the Flemish adoption sector has recently found itself,” responds Yngvild Ingels (N-VA), who is monitoring the file in the federal parliament.
TEMPERS
In the meantime, the debate continues to stir people. For tax specialist Michel Maus (VUB), the adoption of his daughter from Russia was “one of the most beautiful things” in his life. He understands that malpractice must come to an end, but also regrets the "negative atmosphere" that has arisen. “I wonder if this pause is in the interest of the children in the countries of origin,” says Maus. “Do people also think about them? Because they will now stay in orphanages longer.”
For activist Yung Fierens, a total ban on intercountry adoptions would be better off today than tomorrow. “As long as we cannot guarantee that work is done in a professional, ethical and correct manner, I think this pause is the only right choice,” says Fierens. “In the interests of the children, their biological parents and their adoptive parents, we really cannot continue as we are now.”