PEAR Website Announcement

Our website will be down December 26 to January 6 for a redesign. Due to this, our web comments, membership forms and donate buttons will be inoperable.


Please direct your correspondence to the following board members:

Comments and requests for assistance:
Gina Pollock
Vice President Advocacy and NGO/Government Relations
rmprhp@yahoo.com

Membership Issues:
Shanna Wright
Secretary and Membership Chair
shanjwright@gmail.com

Donations and financial issues:
Margaret Weeks
Treasurer
meweek@aol.com

All other correspondence:
Kimberly Kennedy
President
kackennedy_2000@yahoo.com

Thank you for your continued patience and support!

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Govt opens applications for inter-country adoption (Republica)

***Please note: although Nepal has announced it is accepting applications for intercountry adoption, the US Suspension on processing I 600 petitions for abandoned children remains in place. See: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2010/08/145767.htm

Govt opens applications for inter-country adoption

REPUBLICA

ARJUN POUDEL

KATHMANDU, Nov 29: After receiving no application for inter-country adoption in 2011, the government has asked prospective foreign parents to apply for adopting Nepali orphans for the year 2012.

The Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare (MWCSW) has formally invited applications through concerned embassies, diplomatic missions and international adoption agencies for the first time after inter-country adotption was suspended in 2009.

The ministry had suspended inter-country adoption following disclosure of rampant irregularities in the process. Some European countries including USA had also suspended adoption of Nepali children indefinitely after revelation of irregularities. Before the suspension, the ministry used to receive more than 500 such applications each year.

“We have completed listing eligible children for adoption for 2012. Altogether 252 children are eligible for adoption,” the legal officer at the ministry, Sher Jung Karki, said. Children formally relinquished by the family will also be put on offer for adoption, he said.

Some of the children´s homes had stopped providing shelter to newcomer orphans since a year after foreign countries stopped taking in Nepali children. The children´s homes cited financial problems for stopping providing shelter to newcomer orphans. Foreign adoption is one of the main financial sources of the orphanages.

The government has also introduced strict measures after reports of irregularities in adoption were disclosed.

Karki said that the foreign parents seeking to adopt Nepali children cannot approach the children directly. “Prospective parents cannot visit Nepal to select children without the consent of the Nepal government. They have to apply through the Internet,” the legal officer at the ministry, Karki, stated. The ministry has asked foreign parents to submit application within three days from November 17.

He also said the adopting parents need to submit documents concerning permission from their respective governments for adoption and should apply through registered adoption agencies.

The government had also fixed fee for adoption. Adopting parents have to pay US$ 8,000 and the orphanage will get only US$ 5,000 per child. The US$ 3,000 will go to the state and it will be spent for the welfare of children.

Previously adopting parents would approach the concerned orphanage directly and select a child. They would pay huge amount to the orphanages to take away the children of their choice. Karki said that adopting parents from now on will be able to choose only gender and age of the children.

The ministry says 29 orphanages have renewed their licenses for inter-country adoption. Seven new orphanages have acquired licenses for adoption. Parents from around 72 countries adopt Nepali children.

Published on 2011-11-29

http://www.myrepublica.com/portal/index.php?action=news_details&news_id=38929


Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/

Reforms made by the Government of Nepal on Inter-country adoption system (MOWCSW)

Reforms made by the Government of Nepal on Inter country adoption system

---

Status of Children handed over in 2009 & 10

Number of children in 2009

Country	Female	Male	Total
Belgium	6	2	8
Canada	2	0	2
Denmark	8	9	17
France	12	12	24
Germany	2	0	2
Italy	40	32	72
Norway	7	3	10
Spain	32	14	46
Sweden	6	2	8
Switzerland	4	1	5
United Kingdom	4	1	5
USA	74	26	100
	197	102	299

Number of children in 2010

Country	Female	Male	Total
Brazil	1	0	1
India	0	0	0
Japan	1	0	1
Mauritius	0	0	0
Italy	21	13	34
Spain	13	5	18
	36	18	54

---

Data regarding the Child Protection and Family Support Program

1. Rehabilitation program for double orphans

Activities	Number	Rehabilitation support	Responsible Ministry
Double Orphan (Lost both their parents in conflict) support program until they reach 18 years	121 children	NRs. 5000 Per Month	Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction

Source: Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction (MOPR)

2. Family Preservation under the Women Empowerment Program

Activities	Working Areas	Support	Responsible Ministry
Family preservation under the Women Empowerment Program	3045 Village Development Committees and 35 Municipalities	Seed Money worth at NRs. 750 Million in total	Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare

Source: Department of Women and Children

3. Mobilization of Social Volunteers

Activities	Working Areas	Number of volunteers	Responsible Ministry
Mobilization of Social Volunteers for awareness raising for women and children	75 Districts at community level	857	Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare

Source: Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare

http://www.mowcsw.gov.np/inter-country-adoption-15-en.html

Ethics, Transparency, Support
~ What All Adoptions Deserve.
http://www.pear-now.org/