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Council of Ministers' regulations governing foreign adoptions come into force

 

The Council of Ministers' regulations governing foreign adoptions of Belarusian orphan children came into force on February 24.

Under the regulations, recommended for foreign adoptions may be children who have been on the official list of orphans for no less than one year if no adoptive parents have been found for them in Belarus, Tatsyana Kavalyova, deputy minister of education, told BelaPAN. According to her, the list, which currently includes some 12,000 children, will now be formed on the basis of proposals from regional guardianship and wardship offices, not by the National Adoption Center as before.

"Foreign citizens' applications for adoption will now be considered by regional guardianship and wardship offices and then will be submitted to the National Adoption Center," the deputy minister said.

She stressed that adoptions will only be allowed for citizens of the foreign countries with which Belarus has an appropriate agreement. At present Belarus has such an agreement with Italy only. "All countries have been informed and received a draft agreement but so far have not expressed a definite readiness to sign it," Ms. Kavalyova said.

She noted that the new regulations clearly specify grounds for foreign adoptions. "A systematic effort should be made to find a Belarusian adoptive family for the child," she said. "It is necessary to find out if the child has any relatives. All of them should be questioned as to whether they can have the child under their care. It is also necessary to find out whether the child has a brother or a sister, as it is very important not to part them."

Ms. Kavalyova stressed that the regulations fully meet the Marriage and Family Code, the Rights of the Child Law and the standards of international law, and is aimed at protecting the rights and interests of orphan children.