Adoption figures on the decline

Jamaican parents are showing less willingness to give up their children for adoption.

According to information received from the Adoption Board last week, the number of children adopted here has declined by almost half over the last four years. In 1996 that number was 419, but it dropped to 240 by 1999, a decline of 43 per cent.

The Sunday Gleaner was unable to ascertain the reasons for the decline on Thursday and Friday, as attempts to contact Marjorie Tummings, head of the Adoption Board, were unsuccessful.

In addition to the 240 children adopted locally last year, 23 others found new homes in other Caribbean islands, Sweden, Denmark, the United States and Canada.

To be allowed to adopt a child, the Adoption Board must be satisfied that the applicant can parent a child which is not his or her biological child, that the applicant has the right attitude towards health issues and education, as well as adequate financial resources and accommodation.

The figures below, obtained from the Adoption Board, show that the number of children being adopted both locally and overseas has declined steadily over the last four years:

Year	Local	International
1996	419	39
1997	390	34
1998	340	24
1999	240	23

The general trend among persons wishing to, or who have adopted, according to the Adoption Board, is to adopt children under age four. Children can be adopted up to four months before their 18th birthday.

The tendency is for more girls to be adopted than boys. In 1999, 136 girls compared to 127 boys were adopted. The figures reflect a similar situation for the last four years even though the overall decline has mostly affected the number of girls finding homes, so that last year, only nine more girls than boys were adopted. This is lower than from 1996 when 257 girls were adopted compared to 192 boys.