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.

Modupeola Sahid-Adebambo, director of the Adoption Services Department, MYSD, disclosed this in an interview on Friday.

Ms Sahid-Adebambo said adoption could only be revoked if the child’s welfare was at stake.

According to her, the adoption process is guided by the Child’s Right Law and undergoes due process.

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 counselling 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 a home assessment of the adoptive parents and an adoption panel interview involving all the stakeholders,” she said.

She stated that the subsequent steps were getting an approval letter for adoption, a list of government-approved homes, and an order from the court to allow them to bond with the child for three months.

According to her, the final stage is the legalisation process by the court.

She said an applicant must successfully pass one stage before moving to the next.

Ms Sahid-Adebambo disclosed that adoptive parents must reside in the state for three years, provide tax evidence, maintain a conducive home and be physically and mentally assessed 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 or 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, noting that some ineligible applicants deliberately withhold vital information.

According to her, the adoption process takes a minimum of one year, from the date of application to the date of completion. 

(NAN)