Santo Domingo.– A total of 667 children and adolescents were integrated into families permanent through the process of adoption, which represents an increase of 25.57%.
When talking about adoptions in the country, complaints always arise about the time the process can take or about the number of children who are fostered by other families.
«The ideal is not for a child to be in a foster home, but for him to be at home. Our objective is to train young people who can integrate into Dominican society,” said the director of Conani, Alexandra Santelises Joaquín.
Santelises explained that the improvement in the adoption process has been facilitated by the assignment of a unique case number in each child’s file, as well as scheduling an initial interview date.
The official also pointed out that “We are not looking for a child for a family, but a family for a child,” referring to cases of people who try to “choose children as if they were a catalog.”
These measures have made it possible to reduce processing time in the administrative phase, making procedures faster and more efficient, with a reduction of up to three months in waiting times.
The adoption process, although facilitated by Conani, also depends on the intervention of the Public Ministry, who is in charge of finalizing the procedures and dictating the resolution of the cases.
We invite you to read: CONANI served 45,484 children and adolescents in the period 2020-2024
“The waiting time to be able to carry out this process with the adoptive parents does not depend on our institution, but on the Public Ministry, which is the body in charge of completing the administrative part,” explained Santelises Joaquín.
In data
Furthermore, the director of Conani indicated that, to date, 267 children have been evaluated and delivered to new families through the adoption programwhile, so far this year, 196 children have been welcomed by the institution. However, 883 children are in vulnerable situations due to various circumstances, such as child labor, sexual exploitation and living in inadequate conditions.
Requirements for adoption
Santelises Joaquín also explained that people interested in adopting must complete an exhaustive process in which they are interviewed by psychologists, undergo psychological tests and undergo social work, which is carried out in their home, in their environment and with close relatives to determine what these potential parents are like.
One of the requirements to adopt is to have between 30 and 60 years, as established by Law 136-03.
When asked about the minimum age to adopt, she explained that it is based on international references and the agreements that the Dominican Republic has signed.
In addition to the improvements in adoption procedures, the director highlighted other important advances, such as the implementation of the Model of Care for Children and Adolescents Under Protection, the Model of Intervention for Children in Street Situation and the expansion of foster homes. step to offer adequate care to minors in vulnerable situations.
He highlighted efforts to streamline the administrative process of adoptions, improve legal protection services and strengthen regional and municipal offices with new equipment and training programs. These actions are part of a continuous effort to guarantee the well-being of children and adolescents in the country.
“We continue working to improve our processes and offer boys and girls in the Dominican Republic the opportunity to grow up in a family environment that provides them with love, security and development,” concluded the director of Conani.
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