International adoption organizations accuse Ministry of Labor and Family

International adoption organizations in Moldova accuse the Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family and of being incapable of providing conditions for children to be adopted by foreign couples. The organizations’ representatives have stated during a consultative meeting with the parliamentary Children’s ombudswoman that the Ministry is doing everything it can to hinder adoptions through useless reports, terms and exaggerated fees among other things. Viorica Dumbraveanu, the head of the Family and Child’s Rights Protection Division within the Ministry, denies these allegations. She told Info-Prim Neo that all of the legislative initiatives that concern adoptions are implemented in cooperation with the involved parties. Children’s Ombudswoman Tamara Plamadeala stated during the consultative meeting with the international adoption organizations that the ministry turns a deaf ear to the current problems. The new law regarding the judicial terms of an adoption, which took effect on 31 January 2011 was awaited, but as soon as it came into effect it became obvious that it needs amendments. “In 2011 there weren’t any adoptions because the Ministry hinders the process through paperwork, and the children grow, we have orphans, we have children of indeterminate status. They stay for more than a year at a boarding house. I know full-well that there are problems in communicating with the Ministry. The current legislation is imperfect. Two amendments to the legislation have already been put forward, even though it hasn’t come into effect yet. There are many obstacles in the way of adoption, it is a lengthy and bureaucratic procedure”, said the Children’s Ombudswoman. The adoption associations’ representatives have said that the adoption term must be modified in the legislation, and that it shouldn’t be greater than 6 months. Families need to have access to the children before starting the adoption procedure. Furthermore, the associations’ financial reports that are demanded by the ministry are irrelevant, as well as the fee of 3000 lei that it demands for every registered folder. The head of the Moldovan Association Arcobaleno-Onlus's representative in Italy, Lilia Popovici, said that the Ministry doesn’t want to facilitate the international adoption process. There is not data access about the children who can be adopted. “We are given only one day a week – Monday. For us the Ministry is closed”, said Lilia Popoici. The “ASA-Catania” Italian association’s representative, Angelica Valteroni, said that the Ministry of Labor does everything it can so that the children stay in residential institutions, instead of doing the opposite – get them adopted. Viorica Dumbraveanu, Ministry employee, has mentioned that the problem resides not only in artificial obstacles from the Ministry. The problem is that families want pre-school children without health problems or treatable health problems. There are 141 requests as of now. The number of children that can be adopted is 226, 122 of which are sick. Only 113 children are younger than 6 years old, 37 of which are perfectly healthy. Therefore, there are 141 requests for 37 children. Viorica Dumbraveanu added that the Ministry will amend the new law, and the adoption term will be reduced from the current time-length of 2 years. The term would be reduced to one year, and 6 months for the special-needs children, that aren’t often adopted inside the country. According the ministry’s representatives, 27 children were adopted by foreign couples in 2011.