Orphanage Director wants processing of adopting children to be made easier for former Fiji residents

The Director of Treasure House Children's Home in Nadi wants the process of adopting a child from Fiji to be made easier for former Fiji residents who have found better opportunities overseas.

While making submissions to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Justice, Law and Human Rights on the Adoption Bill, Ulamila Powell highlighted that there are a lot of couples that have moved overseas and the lengthy process stops them from applying to adopt a child from Fiji.

Committee Chairperson Alvick Maharaj says they need to have a legal framework and as a government, it is their responsibility to ensure that a child gets the right parent and their future is protected.

The Adoption Bill 2018 is about repealing and replacing the existing Act on Adoption of Infants.

Maharaj says this bill is needed as adoption for the purpose of trafficking of children and other illegal adoption practices are issues of growing concern.

Maharaj says the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation will be the main custodians of the Bill and they will be talking to other agencies and authorities overseas who have ratified the conventions to allow people from abroad to adopt children from our country as well as domestic adoption.

Around 10 people attended the public consultation in Nadi today.