Lagos – The Lagos State Ministry of Youths and Social Development (MYSD) says adoption of children from registered orphanages remains irrevocable under the state’s adoption laws.
Dr Modupeola Sahid-Adebambo, Director Adoption Services Department , MYSD, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
Sahid-Adebambo said adoption could only be revoked if the welfare of the child was at stake.
According to her, adoption process is guided by the Child’s Right Law and undergoes due
process, starting with an application letter to the ministry, interview, virtual training,
She outlined the criteria for adoption, with an application letter to the ministry as the first step.
“When an application letter is written, the client is invited for an interview; if it is successful, we give them requirements for adoption, after which they pay the application fee.
“A link to our virtual training series for adoption is given to the client. It covers post adoption events and counseling series, which they must go through in detail.
“The training used to be physical not until the COVID-19 era.
“We discovered that it was even a better way because they can make reference to it in the future.
“Another interview is scheduled to know the outcome of the training, followed by home assessment of the adoptive parents, adoption panel interview involving all the stakeholders”, she said.
She stated that the subsequent steps were getting an approval letter for adoption, list of government approved homes, an order from the court to allow them to bond with the child for three months.
According to her, the final stage is legalisation process by the court.
She said an applicant must successfully pass a stage before moving to another.
Sahid-Adebambo disclosed that adoptive parents must reside in the state for three years, provide tax evidence, maintain a conducive home and physically and mentally accessed by a designated general hospital.
On relocation, she said the ministry must be notified and necessary information submitted before a child is taken out of the state of the country.
“We have the Human Integrated Unit, under the Social Welfare department, in charge of supervision.
“If a child is relocated to another state, the ministry will ask the unit to contact the state and make arrangements on how the child will be supervised, at the expense of the family.
“For inter-country adoption, we have partners that will carry out the assessment, in accordance with the laws in the country of domicile, before it will be forwarded to the agency.
“The child’s safety must be guaranteed. The Lagos State government makes provision for visiting and interacting with the children periodically in another country,” she said.
She identified inadequate disclosure by prospective adoptive parents as a major adoption challenge, saying some ineligible applicants deliberately withhold vital information.
According to her, the adoption process is a minimum of one year, from the date of application, to the date of completion.
