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>>Gov't bans private
adoptions of abandoned
infants
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would-be parents prefer illegal
route
A latest circular
released by seven central government
agencies forbidding any individual or
organization from taking in abandoned
babies privately in an effort to
secure children's rights has triggered
controversy over its
practicality.
Individuals or
organizations should report to local
authorities and police "at the
earliest time" after finding an
abandoned baby and cannot keep it
privately, it says, adding that public
security authorities are obliged to
search for the biological parents and
other legal custodians and arrange for
medical treatment.
If the
custodians cannot be found, the babies
should be taken care of temporarily
at designated child welfare agencies
while further attempts to find the
parents are made.
"The purpose
of the policy is to combat
crimes including baby trafficking, but
there will be practical difficulties
as many small places in the
country don't even have welfare
organizations, and the low administrative
efficiency might also harm the kids,"
Gu Lifen, a Hebei-based lawyer
specializing in child protection, told
the Global Times Tuesday.
The
policy also demands that all private
welfare organizations which help abandoned
babies and orphans cooperate with
civil affairs authorities above the
county level.
Many netizens
were against forbidding private agencies
and restraining social power, adding
that it might lead to more
risks to the babies if government
resources fall short of their
task.
"Our babies are all
identified and have treatment agreements,
followed by detailed adoption plans,
but many private child welfare
agencies are facing registration troubles
even though they can provide good
care," Deng Zhixin, founder of Angel
Mom, a Beijing-based child welfare
organization, told the Global
Times.
However, the effect of
private care agencies has been
questioned after a fire at a
Henan-based private adoption home killed
seven children in January due to
negligence.
Despite the controversy,
there is no doubt that people
should report to the police to
identify abandoned babies, as abandoning
a child is a crime which
requires a criminal investigation to
pursue the responsible parties, said
Zhang Wenjuan, deputy director of the
Beijing Children Legal Aid and
Research Center.
Zhang noted
that a detailed and applicable child
aid procedure should include several
steps, such as medical treatment and
temporary settlement for the babies by
welfare organizations, getting identification
reports from the police, deciding on
custodians and finding foster families,
and only an integrated welfare system
could really protect the
children.
"The current system
is flawed and could bring confusion
to children about their status while
they enter the adoption phase. The
new policy suggests the authorities at
least are aware of the problem,
but the key is to focus on
the real needs of the children,
other than merely issuing administrative
policies to fill the loopholes," said
Zhang.
