At home in childcare, many adopted kids miss comfort zone in families

Panaji: Recently, the district child protection unit released the names of 21 children aged between 10 and 18 living in childcare homes, to renew their chances of being either adopted or getting foster parents.

But in all probability, the kids will continue to live in childcare homes, stakeholders say.

This is because of two reasons. First, the chances of older children getting adopted are slim. Second, in many cases, the adolescents themselves are reluctant to move out of the institution in which they grew up — adjusting to a family setup is not easy for them.

“We have found that children who are brought up in childcare institutions from a very young age become very attached to the place they have been cared for and find it difficult to adapt to a life with a family,” an expert in the field said. “The adolescents, especially the older ones, tell us they are not keen to be taken in by a family under foster care.”

The expert added, “Many of these children have also given clear statements in writing that they don’t want to be adopted.”

There have been instances in which foster parents who took a child under their care could not adjust to the adolescent’s ways.

Often, people who are unprepared for the commitments suddenly feel the need to adopt children. The reasons for such adoptions include the fear of being alone in their old age, the instinct to fill a void after losing their partner, or wanting someone to inherit property and look after them in their senior years.

“After the initial period, some unprepared couples realise that the children cannot shake off the regimented life of institutions, governed by discipline and fixed schedules,” a social worker said.

“The adolescents too find it hard to negotiate the routines of a conventional family. Some couples end up returning the kids to childcare institutions.”

On returning to their institutions, the social worker said, these children relate their experiences to their peers. “The older children who hear such stories begin to think that being adopted is not such a good idea after all,” the social worker said.

Govt’s advertisement was published to comply with the directive of the Central Adoption Resource Authority, which oversees and regulates adoptions.

The authorities will declare these children legally free for adoption if no claims are received from a blood relative within 60 days, the advertisement says.

Efforts are on by govt to encourage younger adolescents to agree to go into foster care or be adopted.




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