From Arka News Agency this morning 10/12/2010. I know Yelena and for the most part she is very honest.
70 Children Offered For Adoption In armenia Now
YEREVAN, October 12. /ARKA/. Some 70 children are offered for adoption in Armenia now, Yelena Hayrapetyan, chief of Armenian Labor and Social Affairs Ministry’s division on family problems, said Tuesday at a seminar focused on human trafficking and child adoption problems in Armenia. The seminar was organized by People in Need Program.
She said that 70% of them are children at age above 10.
“About 200 families in Armenia and as much again foreigners want to adopt children, but only 20 to 30% of them managed to do it…Married couples prefer newborn babies to keep the adoption secret,” Hayrapetyan said.
Hayrapetyan said that abandoned children and orphans can be adopted.
Preference is given to families in Armenia, then Armenians living abroad and foreigners.
Hayrapetyan said that there are only 15 healthy children in the database. Others have physical or mental problems.
Remarkable is that foreigners prefer sick children, but if their health problems are curable.
The ministry’s representative said that 50 decisions were made in the first quarter of this year against 87 in 2009 and 120 in 2008.
She said that the government keeps its eye on adopted children wherever they are through diplomatic offices and consulates.
No cases of violence have ever been reported.
Tatevik Bezhanyan, coordinator of the People in Need Program, who spoke at the seminar as well, said that very often adoptions are kept secret in Armenia. That is why cases of child sale happen here.
“As a rule, people all over the world don’t hide facts of adoption, while Armenians don’t want to do it openly because of national mentality.” –0--
So are you against non-Armenians adopting, I dont get it, was told that there is no preference that anyone can adopt.
ReplyDeleteNo way at all, I think everyone should have a chance at adopting. Anyone can apply to Armenia but it doesn't mean it will happen. As you can see from the article they still prefer Armenian ethnicity, it is the judgment of the Armenian Adoption Committee and many other layers around it.
ReplyDeleteI know of a few non-Armenians in the last 4 years that adopted healthy children the rest have been special needs correctable to not correctable. But they are great people who take on the special needs and should be applauded and thanked by everyone.
But the reality is there is such few available children with an overwhelming amount of local parents that want to adopt. The availabilty has dwindled down especially of the healthy infants-5 years old. With only 15 healthy children available that is not a lot out of 70. Then 70% are over the age of 10= so 49 are 10+, that leaves 21 that are under 10 y old. How many of the 15 healthy are under 10? Probably the healthy ones are already spoken for.
The europeans have adoption programs that are ran by their government. The couples are reimbursed because of their 0 population growth. Their government deals direct with Armenia's government like a diplomatic program.
That is the reality confirmed by my friends in Yerevan. But there is options if you have dual citzenship or Surrogacy/ In vitro? I mention them here because it is important for many Armenian couples to continue their bloodline. But that doesn't mean you cannot look into a surrogacy program at all, or consider an older child with a special need. Many times they are very slight and correctable.
It is good to have options that is why I try to put everything down in the spirit of fair balance and transparency.
We will be adding more information as I recieve it.
my friend mandy from church just adopted two adorable down syndrome children from arminia. they were taken good care of. she has a big family like a big grouop home the kids were use to. thanks for the info about the kids.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, this is great news! Down Syndrome children are particularly loving, when I have visited with them they cling on to you. Affectionate and sociable, many function very well but do have some medical issues that can be monitored nicely by a special needs Pediatrician.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your story about your friend and tell her "thank you" for offering these children a family and home.
For your interest, here is another blog about the Sisters of Charity that houses many down syndrome kids. But they can be found throughout the orphanage system in Armenia.
The good news is Armenian parents are starting to feel supported with their decisions to keep their Down Syndrome children.
http://www.VanessaKachadurianArmenianSOC.blogspot.com