The Center for Adoption Research
Driven by the principle that every child deserves a loving family, the University of Massachusetts Medical School Center for Adoption Research within Commonwealth Medicine is dedicated to assisting families and professionals in improving the lives of children in adoptive and foster care families.
For more information about the Center, visit http://www.umassmed.edu/adoption/.
The Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE)
The Center for Adoption Support and Education (CASE) is conducting a study of post-placement adoption services provided to families and children by adoption agencies. In partnership with Social Dynamics, they are in the process of conducting a survey of families that have never received therapeutic adoption services and have at least one adopted child between 5 and 18 years of age.
For more information about the survey, download the flyer.
Clark University
The Transition to Adoptive Parenthood Project (TAPP) is aimed at exploring the transition to adoptive parenthood in same-sex parents. Couples who participate in this study will be interviewed individually by phone during the pre-adoption period, and then again three months after adoption. For more information, contact Dr. Abbie Goldberg via phone at 508.793.7289 or email at agoldberg@clarku.edu. More information about this study and Dr. Goldberg's other research is available at http://www.clarku.edu/faculty/goldberg/index.html.
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute
The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute conducts original research on critical issues in adoption designed to inform, educate, and most of all, to change reality on the ground in ways that tangibly improve both people's lives and adoption practices The Adoption Institute conducted the first survey focusing on adopted adults at the Gathering of the First Generation of Adult Korean Adoptees in 1999 and the Reunion of the First Generation of Vietnamese Adoptees in 2000. To learn more about the Adoption Institute, visit their website at http://www.adoptioninstitute.org.
Language Development Survey - Children Adopted from Ethiopia
Participants are needed for a research project conducted by the Speech-Language Pathology department at the University of Alberta, under the supervision of Dr. Karen Pollock. Parents would complete surveys about their child's speech and language development. Seeking children from 9 to 42 months of age adopted from Ethiopia within the past year. To get started, download the survey from http://www.rehabmed.ualberta.ca/.
Tufts University
The Adoption and Development Project at Tufts University is studying how well Chinese adopted children understand aspects of adoption and their identity. Additionally it seeks to understand how families handle/deal with the adoption and ethnic or racial differences of their child.If you are interested in participating or learning more about this study: 617-627-5909 or http://tuftsadp.org
Worcester State College
Participants between one and five years of age are needed for a study of English language development in internationally adopted children. The study involves two language evaluation sessions with certified speech-language pathologists and audiologists.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Nepal urged to tighten adoptions
Many Nepalese children live in children's homes and refuges
The government in Nepal is being urged to tighten regulations surrounding the international adoption of its children. A study suggests the current suspension of international adoptions from Nepal should continue until proper safeguards are in place.
The research was carried out by the UN Children's Fund, Unicef, and the child rights charity Terre des Hommes. They say numerous infringements take place, including the abuse and, effectively, the sale of children.
They say only four out of every 100 children adopted remain within Nepal, despite the international ban. According to Terre des Hommes, many children are parted from their families without the latter's proper consent, and many of those put up for adoption are described as orphans when at least one parent is alive.
The BBC's Nepal correspondent Charles Haviland says there are a large number of substandard children's homes, some of which have allowed abuse, and some homes have opened with the aim of making money from adoptions overseas.
Terre des Hommes say as many as 80% of children in institutions should be reunited with their families. The government suspended international adoptions last year, as an increasing number of problems came to light. Both Unicef and Terre des Hommes recommend that the international freeze on adoption remain until domestic laws are tightened up.
For instance, they suggest adoption by foreigners only be allowed if all domestic options have been exhausted, and that strict measures be enacted to prevent pressures on birth families, or inducements offered to them, to give up a child. They say siblings are being needlessly separated when adopted, and family records carelessly destroyed, to the disappointment of Nepalese adopted abroad who later return to try to trace their relatives.
The government in Nepal is being urged to tighten regulations surrounding the international adoption of its children. A study suggests the current suspension of international adoptions from Nepal should continue until proper safeguards are in place.
The research was carried out by the UN Children's Fund, Unicef, and the child rights charity Terre des Hommes. They say numerous infringements take place, including the abuse and, effectively, the sale of children.
They say only four out of every 100 children adopted remain within Nepal, despite the international ban. According to Terre des Hommes, many children are parted from their families without the latter's proper consent, and many of those put up for adoption are described as orphans when at least one parent is alive.
The BBC's Nepal correspondent Charles Haviland says there are a large number of substandard children's homes, some of which have allowed abuse, and some homes have opened with the aim of making money from adoptions overseas.
Terre des Hommes say as many as 80% of children in institutions should be reunited with their families. The government suspended international adoptions last year, as an increasing number of problems came to light. Both Unicef and Terre des Hommes recommend that the international freeze on adoption remain until domestic laws are tightened up.
For instance, they suggest adoption by foreigners only be allowed if all domestic options have been exhausted, and that strict measures be enacted to prevent pressures on birth families, or inducements offered to them, to give up a child. They say siblings are being needlessly separated when adopted, and family records carelessly destroyed, to the disappointment of Nepalese adopted abroad who later return to try to trace their relatives.
Lifting of Nepal child adoption
Nepal has lifted a ban on adoption to countries it deems acceptable. [AFP]
Nepal's Government says it will allow 58 foreign agencies to process requests by families wishing to adopt children from the Himalayan nation, ending months of uncertainty. Nepal put on hold adoption of its children last year after news of widespread corruption and criticism that some children were being sold off, leaving hundreds of families in confusion.
Prakash Kumar Adhikari, a senior official in the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare says foreign agencies could work as "intermediaries" between potential adopting families in their respective countries and the Nepali authorities. He says the Government will accept requests through firms from Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Norway, the United States and Canada for adoption of Nepali children.
"These countries have a good social security system, including education and health care," he said, "We'll soon start accepting applications from prospective families for adoption through the accredited agencies."
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a Swiss child relief agency Terre des homes said in a report in August that the sale, abduction and trafficking of children was common and Nepal should press for adoption by local families.
Nepal's Government says it will allow 58 foreign agencies to process requests by families wishing to adopt children from the Himalayan nation, ending months of uncertainty. Nepal put on hold adoption of its children last year after news of widespread corruption and criticism that some children were being sold off, leaving hundreds of families in confusion.
Prakash Kumar Adhikari, a senior official in the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare says foreign agencies could work as "intermediaries" between potential adopting families in their respective countries and the Nepali authorities. He says the Government will accept requests through firms from Germany, France, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Norway, the United States and Canada for adoption of Nepali children.
"These countries have a good social security system, including education and health care," he said, "We'll soon start accepting applications from prospective families for adoption through the accredited agencies."
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a Swiss child relief agency Terre des homes said in a report in August that the sale, abduction and trafficking of children was common and Nepal should press for adoption by local families.
Nepal urged to focus on child rights in adoption
KATHMANDU (Reuters) - The sale, abduction and trafficking of children is rife in Nepal and the government should do more to encourage adoption by domestic families, a U.N. study released on Friday said.
Nepal suspended adoption of its children by foreign families last year amid criticism that the practice involved corruption and some children were being sold for thousands of dollars.But the government cleared most of the 442 pending applications for adoption early this year after preparing a new set of rules for foreigners wanting to adopt Nepali children, officials said.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a Swiss child relief agency, Terre des hommes (Tdh), said in a report only four out of every 100 adopted children were adopted by Nepali families. Many were not orphaned and were separated from their families.
"An industry has grown up around adoption in which profit rather than the best interests of the child takes the centre stage," said Gillian Mellsop, chief of UNICEF in Nepal.
"Appropriate legal safeguards and a functioning alternative care to parental care can prevent abuse and allow intercountry adoption to continue for those who need it."
Prakash Kumar Adhikary, a senior official in the Nepali Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, said the Himalayan republic was trying to prepare comprehensive new laws in line with international conventions on adoption, and until hthenhen new requests from foreign families would not be considered.
"The existing rules are not comprehensive enough and we must create necessary legal and other infrastructure before accepting new requests," Adhikary said.
Joseph Aguettant, Nepal chief of Tdh, said the government should play a key role in adoption, which must not be left to the orphanages or other centers alone.
"Biological parents are often misled," he said. "Parents were led to believe that the child will return to them. But this is not the case."
Families from the United States and western Europe are increasingly turning to countries such Nepal for adoption.
Activists said hundreds of children from Nepal, among the world's poorest countries, have been adopted by foreign families in recent years.
Nepal suspended adoption of its children by foreign families last year amid criticism that the practice involved corruption and some children were being sold for thousands of dollars.But the government cleared most of the 442 pending applications for adoption early this year after preparing a new set of rules for foreigners wanting to adopt Nepali children, officials said.
The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and a Swiss child relief agency, Terre des hommes (Tdh), said in a report only four out of every 100 adopted children were adopted by Nepali families. Many were not orphaned and were separated from their families.
"An industry has grown up around adoption in which profit rather than the best interests of the child takes the centre stage," said Gillian Mellsop, chief of UNICEF in Nepal.
"Appropriate legal safeguards and a functioning alternative care to parental care can prevent abuse and allow intercountry adoption to continue for those who need it."
Prakash Kumar Adhikary, a senior official in the Nepali Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare, said the Himalayan republic was trying to prepare comprehensive new laws in line with international conventions on adoption, and until hthenhen new requests from foreign families would not be considered.
"The existing rules are not comprehensive enough and we must create necessary legal and other infrastructure before accepting new requests," Adhikary said.
Joseph Aguettant, Nepal chief of Tdh, said the government should play a key role in adoption, which must not be left to the orphanages or other centers alone.
"Biological parents are often misled," he said. "Parents were led to believe that the child will return to them. But this is not the case."
Families from the United States and western Europe are increasingly turning to countries such Nepal for adoption.
Activists said hundreds of children from Nepal, among the world's poorest countries, have been adopted by foreign families in recent years.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)