Department of Social Welfare: Adoption
In June 2007, adoptions were suspended in Lesotho.
In November 2008, the suspension of adoptions was lifted.
A commission reported back to the MOHSW with both short term and long term goals for adoptions.
Short Term Goals: adoption cases pending at the time of suspension should be given priority.
Long Term Goals:
·The Child Welfare Bill (waiting to be passed since 2004) has specific foster care and adoption policies.
·Department of Social Welfare: Adoption
In June 2007, adoptions were suspended in Lesotho.
In November 2008, the suspension of adoptions was lifted.
A commission reported back to the MOHSW with both short term and long term goals for adoptions.
Short Term Goals: adoption cases pending at the time of suspension should be given priority.
Long Term Goals:
·The Child Welfare Bill (waiting to be passed since 2004) has specific foster care and adoption policies.
·The commission recommended that a Central Authority in the Ministry of Health be formulated to be responsible for the adoptions. Though the Central Authority has not been established to date, the Department of Social Welfare has assigned all adoptions to on Social Worker in the Department of Social Welfare.
·Domestic adoptions have priority over international adoptions.
·International adoptions will resume, but will be concentrated in few countries.
·The belief of the commission was that international adoptions should not be spread too wide, but should be concentrated.
·Four countries: Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States are the only countries where international adoptions with Lesotho can be done.
·One adoption agency is chosen from each country. Each agency is required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Lesotho Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.
·In the MOU, the adoption agency in each country is responsible to provide the MOHSW with reports every six months for children until they are six years of age. From ages 7 to 18, a report must be submitted once a year. The report must include photos.
·Currently, the MOHSW provides profiles of children to the adoption agencies, and the adoption agency pairs adoptive parents with children.
International Adoption Agencies:
·Canada: Sunrise Adoption Services: mary@sunriseadoption.com~
·The Netherlands: Stichting Kind en Toekomost: skt@xs4all.nl
·Sweden: Adoption Centrum: birgitta.l@adoptionscentrum.se~
·United States: Americans for African Adoptions: AmFAA@aol.com~
Information provided by MOHSW through interview: March 2009
