Description
More than 70% of children without parental care grow up in orphanages or foster families because of their ethnic origin, age or a developmental disorder. Goal: to advocate for the rights of children without parental care to family life and position ADOPTA as resource in policy development related to children. Target group: Children without family care, particularly Roma, over 6 yeas of age, children with developmental or health related difficulty. Outcomes: 1. Advocacy campaign on rights of children on family life and a need for a systematic change to improve adoption of „difficult to adopt“ children, 2. Strengthening and positioning ADOPTA as a resource in development and monitoring of public policies on children. Expected results: identified obstacles to adoption of „difficult to adopt children“ mapping of available support services Parliamentary Committee on families, Youth and sports creates recommendations on systematic improvement of adoption Action plan/reccomendations for supporting adoption of difficult to adopt children developed through multi-stakeholder cooperation, ADOPTA increaces competencies for advocacy.
Summary of project results
There is a big difference between wishes of potential parents and children available for adoption. From the position of potential adoptive parents, adoption is seen as a substitute for a child that they cannot have biologically. For the state, adoption is responsibility of potential adoptive parents and the fact that there is a large number of children who are not adopted is their fault. Social care system was not willing to research where the problem is and what would be a good solution for it. ADOPTA, on the other hand, received from members of community many comments that people would be willing to ADOPT but they don't think they have enough information and support to go through with the adoption of a child from „ difficult to adopt„ category. What was the impact? 1. 4th Conference (Round table) on adoption ADOPTA organised was focused on children from „difficult to adopt„ category. We identified barriers to adoption in this category of children ADOPTA prepared after the Conference conclusions and recommendations (those recommendations were partially included in Protocols Ministry of social policy and Youth prepared in September for adoption) 2. developed online map with all available support to community for potential adoptive parents and adoptive families where people can get all the information of available services and necessary help ADOPTA participated in advocacy for several laws, regulations and protocols that can help to community 3. special advocacy for International adoption day in November 4. better competence of employees and board of directors for advocacy and sustainability of organisation – ADOPTA organised strategic planning and participated in education for advocacy.
Summary of bilateral results