Our View: Table adoption bills until licensing regulations adopted

Guam could benefit from the streamlining the adoption process here, especially foster children who need homes and people who want to bring these children into their homes and families.

Department of Youth Affairs Director Melanie Brennan, who currently has oversight of Child protective Services, has said just a few foster children go up for adoption. There are 432 children in different types of foster care placement, most with relatives.

Bill 108 and Bill 109, introduced by Sen. Mary Torres, would involve independent adoption agencies in the Bureau of Social Services Administration’s process for finding children homes. The aim is “easing the burden of Guam’s already-strained foster care system.”

Bill 108 would allow adoption agencies to help in the screening and placement of children available for adoption. Bill 109 would give adoption agencies involvement in the placement of newborns given up through the Newborn Infant Safe Haven Act.

Sens. Joanne Brown and Telo Taitague are concerned with the lack of regulations for adoption agencies. Department of Public Health and Social Services Deputy Director Terry Aguon also raised concerns.

Lori Boss, executive director of Ohala’ Adoptions, founded in 2019, said the nonprofit asked for licensing regulations. It discovered there weren’t any for adoption agencies, but said more guidelines should be set up.

Brown said there need to be safeguards in place.

The two adoption measures, while not problematic in general, do seem to be putting the cart before the karabao.

As it stands, anyone can open an adoption agency. That opens wide the doors for fraud and abuse. What’s to keep the unscrupulous from taking advantage of the lack of regulations for adoption agencies

Following the Haiti earthquake in 2010, 47 children were adopted. It was discovered the children weren’t orphans, and those who “found” them were child traffickers.

Bill 108 and Bill 109 should be set aside for now. Lawmakers must focus first on crafting sensible and strong licensing regulations for adoption agencies that operate or want to operate on Guam. We must do our best to prevent potential exploitation and fraud of our children.