Low adoption rates in Phoenix: high demand for Indian babies only

DESPITE a high demand for babies in Phoenix, the adoption rates remained low, particularly for black infants, with only three babies a year being placed by child welfare.

- YOSHINI PERUMAL

Aroona Chetty, director the Phoenix Child Welfare (PCW), said the low rate of adoption was due to the demand for Indian babies only.

“There is a demand for Indian babies, but we do not have many. We place about two to three babies in adoption for a year, but that is only if we have a baby that the potential parents want.

“We struggle to place our black babies. This is unfortunate and we hope that people become more open-minded when considering adoption,” she said.

She said the PCW followed a strict adoption process and all children who qualified for adoption had to be put on a national register.

“Clients who want to adopt come to us from Phoenix, Mount Moriah and Mount Royal. They have to be screened, go through a criminal check and be screened against the sexual offenses register.

“We also have an age category, where at least both or one partner must be under 45 years old. We visit homes and do a thorough investigation before proceeding with an adoption. We call for financial statements, references and medical records. It can take up to six month for all the documents to be processed,” she said.

Chetty said there were administrative costs involved as stipulated in the Children's Act.

In Chatsworth, the demand for adoptions are low as a result of fewer adults seeking to adopt. However, the number of children needing adoption was high.

Prenashen Pillay, the director of Child Welfare Chatsworth (CWC), said the demand for foster care was higher, even though they offered free adoptions.

“Despite the importance of adoption, the demand remains significantly lower than that for foster care. Adoption is typically pursued by financially-stable individuals or couples who are unable to have their own children. Interestingly, our office often sees more children available for adoption than adults seeking to adopt.