“Their future depends on your love” is the name of the initiative aimed at disseminating the situation of children over 5 years of age protected by the INAU and promoting their adoption. Currently, more than 500 children and adolescents are eligible for adoption, of which about 240 are between 5 and 10 years old. In 2022, there were 137 integrations to families and some 200 appraisals of applications.
The presentation of the campaign was held on Tuesday 18 at the INAU headquarters. The Vice President of the Republic, Beatriz Argimón; the secretary of the Presidency, Álvaro Delgado, and members of the board of directors of the Uruguayan Institute for Children and Adolescents (INAU), headed by the organization’s president, Pablo Abdala.
With this action, which will be disseminated through audiovisual media, the aim is to promote the adoption of children between 5 and 10 years of age.
Argimón recalled that, as children who can be adopted grow up, their possibility of making effective use of their rights diminishes. It is necessary “to be clear that the life of a child in an institution is not ideal”, therefore, “as a country we have assumed the commitment of deinstitutionalization”, he explained.
Meanwhile, Delgado considered that this initiative represents an act of justice, sensitivity and responsibility, which responds to the priority established by the Government for children. While there are about 40 children in the 0-4 age group waiting to be adopted, 240 more, between 5 and 10 years old, are in the same situation, he said.
The hierarch added that the legal modifications introduced in the adoption regime, through the law of urgent consideration, provide guarantees and facilitate the process. In this sense, he reported that the policy is to encourage the adoption of children protected by the INAU, an institution that ranks fifth in reference to the allocation of economic resources, he detailed.
Abdala pointed out that more than 500 children are in a position to be adopted and explained that some families request that the age does not exceed 5 years. “It’s an understandable and legitimate reality,” but a major challenge for the institution, she said.
He mentioned that, of 519, nearly half are pre-teens or teens. He added that, in 2022, some 137 children were integrated into families. INAU’s experience shows that adoptions of children older than 5 are almost all successful, she noted.
Likewise, there are more than 200 families registered in the Single Registry of Applicants. The final or full adoption requires a pronouncement of the specialized Justice. This year some 200 order assessments were made, which are completed in 18 months at most, he said.
Inquiries and interview requests are received through the agency’s website and the free telephone line 0800 9300.
