04-01-2011 - Brandpunt twittert over adopties uit Ethiopië
KRO's Brandpunt has decided to make a broadcast about adoptions from Ethiopia. The broadcast will be next Sunday, January 9. In addition to a general picture, one mediation will probably be explored in depth. It concerns the case of two girls, whose adoptive parents and biological parents have given full consent to the adoption and also met each other in Ethiopia, but where the court has ruled that the biological parents have died.
The reason for this report lies in the fact that Wereldkinderen conducted a study in 2009 into the background information of adopted children from Ethiopia. This internal confidential investigation was handed over to Brandpunt by the researcher against the agreements!
Wereldkinderen has been mediating for adoptions from Ethiopia since 1985. In order to learn from our work in the past and to continuously improve the quality of our work, Wereldkinderen commissioned an investigation in 2009 into the background of 18 randomly selected mediations from the period 2004-2008. In 2009 the conclusions of this investigation gave rise to the temporary non-processing of new adoption applications. Questions about the results of the investigation were also asked in the House of Representatives at the time. The result was a stricter procedure for new mediations from Ethiopia. The tightened procedure means, among other things, that the backgrounds of the children are examined extra before their adoption is dealt with in court. And that information about distance and adoption is given to the biological relatives at an early stage to make them aware of alternative care and the impact of giving up.
As indicated, Wereldkinderen has not accepted any new requests since 2009. However, an extra examination was carried out for the children who were already included in our Foster Home. The adoption procedure has now been completed for the children whose second background request was positive.
The research initiated by Wereldkinderen has had many consequences. In addition to temporarily halting procedures and tightening up background investigations, measures have also been taken in Ethiopia. The Ministry of Women's Affairs responsible for international adoption has also conducted its own investigation. The guidelines for international adoptions have been tightened and some children's homes no longer play a role in the international adoption process.
Wereldkinderen once again checked the outcome of the investigation into the 18 files, concluding that the adoptions were made responsibly at the time. Wereldkinderen has concluded that in a number of cases additional information from the
investigation, which was unknown at the time. This additional information is currently under further investigation. If data are indeed different from what we previously thought, we will inform the parents in these individual cases.
In 2011, Wereldkinderen will no longer work with a Foster Home for temporary care and a new method will be developed for adoptions and programs.
Through the awarded subsidy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wereldkinderen will work together with local partners in Ethiopia to improve child protection in Ethiopia. The aim of these efforts is that we work even more than in the past on responsible
adoptions of children who have no future in their own country. And for whom international adoption is a very last chance at a dignified existence.
We have no insight into the way in which Brandpunt will report on the visit to Ethiopia, we hope that a realistic picture will be sketched of the difficult circumstances in Ethiopia.
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