Following reports of malpractice with adoptions from Ethiopia, Gambia, Haiti and Morocco last month, no new foreign adoption procedures will be possible in Flanders for the time being, announced Flemish Welfare Minister Hilde Crevits.
The Flemish Government is thoroughly examining the current practices surrounding intercountry adoption and taking measures to create a better future framework for those adoptions to Flanders. Crevits is now taking extra steps following preliminary conclusions from past investigations, additional reports and complaints.
"Adoptions must be done correctly, with the best interests of the child at heart. We must do everything possible to eliminate abuses or malpractices," Crevits stated in a press release on Friday.
"There has been hard work with various partners over the past few years to make the necessary changes. But the problems of the past few months seem to be standing in the way of a smooth relaunch, and the reports we are receiving worry me."
Waiting for the new decree
The minister decided not to recognise a new adoption service for the time being until a new decree has been voted. She stressed that this means that no new adoption files will be started until the previous reports have been cleared up.
"I realise that this is not a simple measure and may be hard to take, but this way all those involved will have a chance to organise themselves according to the principles of the new decree," Crevits said, stressing the importance of a mediation agreement and the guarantees of aftercare for adopted children in ongoing cases.
At the end of April 2019, the Flemish Centre for Adoption and the two adoption services working in Ethiopia lodged an appeal to families who adopted a child from the country between 1997 and 2015 and who are concerned about their adoption. For 12 families, an investigation was effectively started.
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The first preliminary conclusions show that reality sometimes differs from the content of the adoption files: some children were not voluntarily put up for adoption by their biological parents, for example, other children still have relatives, but they were not mentioned in their file.
At the end of November, Crevits called on every adoptee or adoptive parent who has questions or seeks support to make themselves known to the relevant authority. Two weeks later, more than 30 families have already registered in response. Others have also come forward with questions about their domestic adoption.
It is not currently clear exactly how long the suspension will last. As soon as a new adoption service is recognised, new procedures can be started.
