| Adopting in Guyana
last updated 17 April 2006 http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/100203/p8202.jpg For one stop shopping for tons of info on Guyana check out Guyana.org. Really worth a look. Adoption Procedures http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_391.html Guyana does not permit adoption by foreigners. Guyanese-Americans are only permitted to adopt if they maintain a permanent residence in Guyana. Most cases involve adoption of the child of a relative Adoption Links Adoption in Guyana - http://www.guyana.org/adoption.html Adoption in Guyana (State Dept ) - http://travel.state.gov/family/adoption/country/country_391.html Cornerstone Adoption Agency (Ontario) http://www.cornerstoneadoption.ca Guyana.org/adoption - http://www.guyana.org/adoption.html Isaiah's Story (story about an adoption from Guyana) - http://www.guyana-missions.org/isaiah.htm Except from "Guyana, Land of Six Peoples" - http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/gynewsjs.htm "Adoption in Guyana" by Arlene London, Stabroek News, November 7, 1999 Adoption in Guyana is governed by the Adoption of Children Act, Chapter 46:06 and states that to adopt a child the applicant, or in the case of a joint application, one of the applicants, has attained the age of 25 and is at least 21 years older than the child or has attained the age 18 and is a relative of the child or is the mother or father of the child. According to the Laws of Guyana an adoption order shall not be made in respect of a child who is a female in favour of a sole applicant who is a male unless the court is satisfied that there are special circumstances which justify it. The term child under the act refers to a person under the age of 18 years who has never been married. Babies should at least be six weeks old before they can be adopted. Abandoned children up to age four are mostly kept at the Children's Convalescent Home in D'Urban Backlands. A period of fostering is arranged for persons desirous of adopting one of these children through the medical social worker at the Georgetown Hospital. The length of the fostering period depends on how quickly bonding takes place between the child and its prospective parent which can be immediate or gradual. In such cases the child is a ward of the Ministry of Health. An amendment to the act passed in the National Assembly on December 13, 1997 made provision for overseas based Guyanese and non-nationals to adopt children in Guyana, a procedure previously not allowed, upon presentation of a home study report from a reputable social service agency in their locality. Although the report can provide details of the applicants' working and living conditions, according to Marva Williams, secretary of the Adoption Board, verifying the accuracy of the information presents a particular difficulty to the local adoption board. Williams called for more contact to be established with overseas agencies to make the procedure more transparent. Steps - A person considering the adoption of a child should firstly apply to the Adoption Board, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security on specified applications and medical forms provided. The medical form is very important because it outlines the medical history of the applicant. Married couples are asked to apply jointly. A return date is then given for an office interview when the applicant(s), child and its parents have to appear jointly. In the event that the child's parents are dead, proof can be provided through a death certificate. At this interview the child's birth certificate and (if married) the applicant's marriage certificate must be presented. Other documents such as a death certificate (in case of the death of a spouse) as well as divorce papers may also be required depending on the circumstances of each particular case. Children in the Children's Convalescent Home, D'Urban Backlands. It is from here that abandoned children can be adopted after a period of fostering arranged through the medical social worker at the Georgetown Hospital. A court cannot make an adoption order without the consent of each parent or guardian of the child unless the parent or guardian has abandoned, neglected or persistently mistreated the child, cannot be found or is incapable of giving consent. In cases where the parent(s) cannot be found, efforts are made to contact them, requiring the applicant to advertise for three consecutive Saturdays in a daily newspaper advising the parent to turn up. Because parental consent is very essential to the adoptive process an explanatory memorandum is furnished by the board to a parent or guardian. The memorandum makes known to the parents the implications of giving their child up for adoption. Time is allowed for questions and consideration in which a parent is allowed to withdraw or give their consent in writing. Once consent is obtained, the applicants are advised via an enclosure letter from the Board to file two copies of their legal papers in the Supreme Court through a lawyer to appoint the board guardian ad litem of the child. This is a period in which the board acts as the guardian of the child or children so as to make the transition from parent to applicant uncomplicated once approval is given. After the ad litem or first order as it is also called is granted, an officer of the board pays a visit to the home of the applicant to have further discussion with them and the child or children involved as a preview to writing a report. In cases where the child does not live with the applicant a probationary period is allowed for bonding between the two parties. The Adoption Board meets on the last Wednesday of every month. All persons involved are asked to be present on a scheduled date at one of the meetings at which the findings of the report will be presented. Sheila George currently holds the chairmanship of the voluntary six-member board which can recommend, reject or defer an application for an adoption. A decision in favour of the applicant would be followed by a recommendation of the case to the High Court for the making of a Final Order. The board can defer a case until it is fully convinced about the competence of the applicant or can reject it because there are no justifiable grounds for the adoption. At a later date the parties involved--once the board approves--the applicant, child or children and their natural parents (if alive) will be given notice to attend court before a judge in chambers for the making of the Final Order. It is at this point that the work of the secretary of the Adoption Board ends. A few weeks later the applicant should be able to buy the 'Adoptive Certificate' from the Registrar General. Williams noted that adoption should not be for the sole purpose of taking a child abroad but should ensure the best interest of the child is served. Based on her three years as adoption secretary she indicated that the adoptive process should take between six to eight months but depended on the length of time the matter takes to be heard in the courts and the speed with which the lawyer expedites the matter. Such cases are heard once per week in the judges' chambers. Since the amendment of the Act in 1997, the number of overseas applicants have increased but they, however, face a number of limitations. The presence of an overseas applicant is required at least for the start of the process and the making of the final order necessitating their presence in Guyana at times that may conflict with their jobs. It also has to be evidenced that there has been ample contact with the overseas applicant and the child(ren) to be adopted. At times difficulties are experienced at embassies when proof of contact (letters or bills) and interest shown in the adoptees are required before overseas travel can be authorised. Legal proceedings - A lawyer becomes involved in the adoption process after parental consent is granted for the adoption, and has responsibility for filing the legal papers to have the Adoption Board appointed guardian ad litem of the child. This is in an effort to allow for a smooth transferral of the child from parent to the applicant. Such papers would include information on the child's natural parents--name, age, address, consent and on the applicants--name, address, means, religious persuasion, whether they can properly contribute to the upkeep of the child among other things. If the court is not satisfied with the information presented, the probation officer who visited the applicant's home and attends court would be called upon to provide further information. After the first order is granted the lawyer also has to be present for the granting of the final order. A Legal Aid source expressed satisfaction with the system in place to foster adoptions in Guyana, describing it as a safe mechanism in which the best interest of the child is looked after. The source favoured the smooth transition from natural parent to the adoptive parent, characterized as being structured in a way that no one gets hurt. Background Notes - from http://missiontrips.com/guyana.htm "It is the only English speaking country in South America. This is a large country with a small population of 750,000, mainly of African and East Indian decent. Guyana is often referred to as the land of six peoples, reflecting the multi-ethnic composition of its population. The largest ethnic group is the East Indians (about 5l percent), descendants of indentured labourers from India, followed by the Africans (38 percent). The other ethnic groups are the Chinese, the Europeans (mostly Portuguese) and the Amerindians. The Portuguese came as indentured labourers from Madeira, the Azores and the Cape Verdes. During the colonial era, they were regarded as a separate group from the other Europeans (mainly British), no doubt because of their origins as indentured labourers. This practice underlines the notion of six peoples. There is also a large racially mixed group. There was some geographical separation, the Indians staying mainly in the rural areas, the Africans going to the cities. There was also functional separation, the Indians remaining on the plantation as sugar workers and dominating the rice industry, the African going into the civil service and the professions and as workers in urban industries and bauxite, the Portuguese and the Chinese in commerce, the Amerindian mainly in the interior. But in the last thirty years, there has been increasing integration. Large numbers of Indians have settled in the cities, entered the civil service and the professions, taken clerical jobs. Indeed, as has been argued before, the increasing integration may paradoxically have created new stresses as there is more direct competition and the races mix more intimately and freely." Charitable Caroline's Promise (Click on Guyna Promect) - http://www.carolinespromise4u.org/ Guyana Christian Charities - http://www.freewebs.com/gccinc/index.HTML Mission Trip to Guyana - http://missiontrips.com/guyana.htm Promise to Guyana - http://www.promisetoguyana.org/ St Joseph Mercy Hopsital - http://www.mercy.hospital.org.gy/index.html Culture Chinese in Guyana - http://members.tripod.com/~CGRoots/ Guyana Folk Festival - http://www.guyfolkfest.org/ Guyana, land of six peoples (really greaet webpage) - http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/ Languages of Guyana - http://www.ethnologue.com/show_country.asp?name=Guyana Government Links Guyana Embassy, Washingtn, DC - doesn't have a webpage but you can find a lot of the info on http://www.guyana.org/ List of Guyanese Ministries - http://guyanaoutpost.com/guyana.shtml US Embassy, Guyana - http://georgetown.usembassy.gov/ US State Dept Consular Info Sheet - http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1133.html Links of Interest CIA World Factbok - http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gy.html Guyana Chronicle (online News) - http://www.guyanachronicle.com/ Guyana Friends - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Guyana_friends Guyana, Land of Six Peoples (extensive list of links) - http://www.landofsixpeoples.com/ Guyana Outpost (lots of Guyanese Webpaeges) - http://guyana.gwebworks.com/websites.shtml Links for Guyana (medical, gov't, time, weather, etc) http://www.guyana-missions.org/links.htm Promise to Guyana - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/promisetoguyana Moving to Guyana - http://www.escapeartist.com/guyana/guyana.htm Yahoo directory links - http://directory.google.com/Top/Regional/South_America/Guyana/ Map Map from Library of U Texas - http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/guyana.html News Guyanaca - http://www.guyanaca.com/ Guyana Diary (a monthly newsletter - http://www.guyana.org/Update/march_2005.html Guyana Chronical Online - http://www.guyanachronicle.com/ Local News from Guyana - http://www.caribcentral.com/guyana/guynews.htm Stabroek News - http://www.stabroeknews.com/ Orphanages Alpha Children's Home - no link yet Berbice Anjuman Orphanage - no link yet Bethel Boys Home - no link yet Bright Horizon Home - no link yet Camal Home - no link yet Canaan Children's Home - no link yet Genesis Home - no link yet Guyana Red Cross Children's Convalescent Home - http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/100203/ Hauruni Children's Home - no link yet Hope Children's Home - no link yet Joshua Children's Center - no link yet Mahaica Children's Home - no link yet New Amsterdam Orphanage - no link yet Prabhu Sharan Orphanage - no link yet Red Cross Convalescent Home - http://www.ifrc.org/docs/news/02/100203/ Zabeeda's Female Home - no link yet Ruimveldt Children's Home and Care Center (RCHCC) - http://www.worldhope.org/worldhope/guyana.asp St Anne's Orphanage - St John Bosco Orphanage - http://bosco_orphanage.tripod.com Sad’r Boys Orphanage - no link yet Shaheed Girls Orphanage - no link yet The Kitty Orphanage - no link yet Zabeeda's Female Home - no link yet Photos Theodora Photos (and other great info) - www.theodora.com/wfb/photos/ guyana/guyana_photos_00.html Sponsor an Orphan Christian Children Care International - http://www.ccare.ca Weather Weather Underground - http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/81002.html Date and Time Georgetown - www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/city.html?n=88 Questions, comments, good links - e-mail me (mgummere @ yahooo.com) 4/11/06 |
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