Inter-country adoption of children suspended

Inter-country adoption of children has been stopped in the state as a part of precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus spread till further orders,

Inter-country adoption of children has been stopped in the state as a part of precautionary measures against the spread of coronavirus spread till further orders, social welfare department’s director Rajkumar said.

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Besides, health check-ups will be conducted on children (in the age bracket of zero to six years), if found abandoned, before admitting them to the central adoption agency, where a temporary isolation ward has been set up.

Officials and employees have been asked to enter adoption homes only after using sanitizers.

The department has also issued guidelines for the government homes for minor boys and girls in the state, as per which no outsider will be allowed at these homes till April 30. Even parents and legal guardians of the children at homes will not be allowed to visit their wards till March 31.

While all the interstate or intra-state movement of the children at government homes have been suspended till further orders, government home inmates will not even be taken out to attend any sports or cultural event, camp or park or to the picnic spot or cinema hall. No food from outside will be allowed while the temporary isolation wards have to be created at all the homes for children.

There are in the state 23 government homes for abandoned boys and 11 homes for abandoned girls and 16 observation homes for children in conflict with law. Besides, there are 25 special adoption agencies (SAA) across the state.

“Interestingly inter country adoption of children has been quite high in our state and among the potential foster parents from the foreign countries, girl child has remained in greater demand. Altogether 29 children have already been taken to different countries under the inter country adoption programme from January 2019 to January this year,” Rajkumar said.

But in the present situation no foreigner can be allowed at adoption agencies. “While extra precaution is being taken at the agencies, inter country adoption too has been suspended till the next government order after April 30,” he said.

Brajesh Kumar, the state coordinator of the SAA, said even entry to the adoption agencies of the abandoned children will be made only after thermal test and health check up. ‘This is an effort to keep the agencies free from Coronavirus,” he said.

The welfare department director said even at the homes for girls and boys, the minor recovered during human trafficking or found abandoned, will be allowed only after his thermal test and health check up,” he said.

Status of government homes minors, special adoption agencies in Bihar

*Government homes for abandoned boys: 23

* Government homes for abandoned girls: 11

*Observation homes for children in conflict with law: 16

*Special adoption agencies (SAA): 25