Social Welfare discloses new reforms for adoption

The Department of Social Welfare (DSW), has introduced new reforms on adoption processes to safeguard the interest of orphans as well as children who cannot live with their parents.

The reforms were developed to formalise alternative care system and formal gatekeeping structures to prevent the unnecessary admission and readmission of children into residential care to stem abuses.

The DSW, disclosed this at a day’s sensitization workshop on adopting and foster care regulations in Ghana, organised by the Department in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Cape Coast for stakeholders in Central Region.

The Acting Regional Director of DSW, Monica Siaw, encouraged stakeholders to educate the public on the new reforms which would be implemented by the Department.

She said couples who were willing to adopt should provide a suitable, secure and loving family home for a child and visit any Regional office of the DSW to go through the various processes before the child could be adopted to avoid child trading and trafficking to a foreign country only to be maltreatment.

Touching on "Adoption Regulations" Mrs Siaw told the participants that the Department has developed a psycho-social service and training to adoptable children and eligible prospective adoptive parents before and after a child was placed for adoption to improve the cordial relation between children and parents.

She urged all participants to be advocates and spread the news for the aims of the workshop to be achieved.

Mrs Georgina Mensah, the Deputy Director, DSW, stated that foster parents should meet the eligibility and sustainability requirements before their request would be granted, adding that applicants should be at least 21- years old, have a high moral character and proven integrity with no criminal record.

She explained that, adopted children have the right to be treated with personal dignity, respect and care without discrimination and just as if they were one's biological children.