ACTIVISTS CALL FOR REFORMS IN ADOPTION SYSTEM TO AID VULNERABLE CHILDREN

With over 2.5 million children estimated to lack parental care, advocates argue that reforms are urgently needed to simplify adoption.

As World Adoption Day approaches, activists and adoptive parents have called on the government to streamline the adoption process, enabling more children to find stable homes and reducing the number of minors left in institutional care.

According to Damon Wamara, Executive Director of the Uganda Child Rights NGO Network, high legal fees and complex procedures create significant barriers, keeping thousands of children from being placed in permanent homes.

“Uganda has 2.5 million children out of parental care, with only 1% placed for adoption annually,” Wamara noted. “We must streamline the process, raise awareness, and encourage families to consider adoption.”

Recent data shows that of 50,000 children residing in care facilities across Uganda, only a small fraction are adopted each year, leaving many to remain in under-resourced institutions.

Barbra Nankya Mutagubya, Director of Sanyu Babies Home, highlighted the urgent need for a one-stop center to simplify adoption.

Her institution, which supports abandoned children, often takes in minors found in dire conditions rescued from garbage heaps, pit latrines, and roadways.

“Efforts are made to trace the children’s relatives, but often with little success,” said Nankya. “Fostering and adoption are vital to providing these children with stable family environments.”

Nankya noted that institutionalised children tend to be older, which complicates adoption.

“Many people prefer to adopt younger children, especially girls, but we need to address the needs of older children, some of whom remain in care until they reach adulthood.”

Representatives of the Adoptive Parents Initiative, Andrew Rugasira and Sheila Kawamara Mishambi, also joined the call for reform, describing the adoption process as arduous.

Rugasira explained that prospective parents are required to foster children for a year under strict supervision before receiving court approval.

While adoption offers emotional rewards, challenges such as disclosure and financial strain can make the process daunting.

“Many families face financial obstacles and emotional challenges in deciding when and how to tell children about their adoption status,”he said.

Through the Adoptive Parents Initiative, experienced parents share advice and resources, helping prospective adopters navigate the complexities of the process.

According to Rugasira, this community support mitigates some of the difficulties of adoption and helps families put children’s well-being first.

Kawamara added that prospective parents should also anticipate challenges related to integrating adopted children into their households and communities, noting that this process can be particularly challenging in Uganda.