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KATHMANDU: Nepal has begun accepting applications from foreigners who
want to adopt Nepalese children, 18 months after the practice was
stopped because of widespread malpractice, officials said
yesterday.
Adoptions were suspended after reports that foreigners paid up to
$20,000 to adopt children, most of whom were not genuine orphans and
some of whom were taken overseas without their parent's consent or
knowledge.
"We have started accepting applications for inter-country adoptions
from registered agencies," said Hari Krishna Poudel, spokesman at the
ministry of children, women and social welfare.
Poudel said that under new, tighter regulations, it would take three
months for the adoption process to be completed.
Foreigners now have to deal with registered adoption agencies from
their home country, and can have no direct contact with children's
homes and orphanages.
The ministry will be responsible for matching prospective parents and
children, and fees have been fixed at $8,000, with 5,000 going to
children's homes and 3,000 to the government.
The government has approved 58 foreign adoption agencies which will
each have to spend at least $10,000 per year on "the welfare of
children in Nepal," the official said.
"The previous adoption process was dodged by financial irregularities
because direct deals were made between the prospective parents and
orphanages," he said. "With the new rules this channel has been
removed".
Nepalese and international child welfare organisations have welcomed
the reforms, but are worried that problems remain with the system.
"What we are concerned about is that the institutions which have been
created for the sole purpose of adoption might continue to flourish,"
said Joseph Aguettant, Nepal representative of Swiss child rights
group Terre Des Hommes.
"This may increase the number of children that are put into
children's homes and we need to keep a close eye on developments over
the next few months," Aguettant told AFP.
Terre Des Hommes and Unicef, the UN child rights body, jointly
released a report last year that found between 60 and 80% of the
12,000 children placed in homes throughout Nepal had family members
they could live with.
Unicef and the Swiss group say they are not against international
adoption, but that increased support for families at a local level
would help prevent impoverished parents putting their children into
homes.
want to adopt Nepalese children, 18 months after the practice was
stopped because of widespread malpractice, officials said
yesterday.
Adoptions were suspended after reports that foreigners paid up to
$20,000 to adopt children, most of whom were not genuine orphans and
some of whom were taken overseas without their parent's consent or
knowledge.
"We have started accepting applications for inter-country adoptions
from registered agencies," said Hari Krishna Poudel, spokesman at the
ministry of children, women and social welfare.
Poudel said that under new, tighter regulations, it would take three
months for the adoption process to be completed.
Foreigners now have to deal with registered adoption agencies from
their home country, and can have no direct contact with children's
homes and orphanages.
The ministry will be responsible for matching prospective parents and
children, and fees have been fixed at $8,000, with 5,000 going to
children's homes and 3,000 to the government.
The government has approved 58 foreign adoption agencies which will
each have to spend at least $10,000 per year on "the welfare of
children in Nepal," the official said.
"The previous adoption process was dodged by financial irregularities
because direct deals were made between the prospective parents and
orphanages," he said. "With the new rules this channel has been
removed".
Nepalese and international child welfare organisations have welcomed
the reforms, but are worried that problems remain with the system.
"What we are concerned about is that the institutions which have been
created for the sole purpose of adoption might continue to flourish,"
said Joseph Aguettant, Nepal representative of Swiss child rights
group Terre Des Hommes.
"This may increase the number of children that are put into
children's homes and we need to keep a close eye on developments over
the next few months," Aguettant told AFP.
Terre Des Hommes and Unicef, the UN child rights body, jointly
released a report last year that found between 60 and 80% of the
12,000 children placed in homes throughout Nepal had family members
they could live with.
Unicef and the Swiss group say they are not against international
adoption, but that increased support for families at a local level
would help prevent impoverished parents putting their children into
homes.
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