The relevant Ministries have focused their attention on revising the existing laws regarding the adoption of children in a flexible manner, The Daily Morning learns.
Speaking to The Daily Morning, the State Minister of Women and Child Affairs, Geetha Kumarasinghe said that there are many local and foreign parents who are willing to adopt Sri Lankan children, but that the strict nature of the relevant legal provisions has become an impediment for the related processes to be carried out. "The laws pertaining to the adoption of children are very strict and complicated. One has to attend court proceedings for years in order to adopt a child. Another issue is that foreigners can adopt a child if that child is twice rejected by their parents, or if there are no local parents who are willing to adopt. These situations have made these processes very complicated. That is why children are often being abandoned on roads," she said.
Speaking further, Kumarasinghe said that preparations are currently underway to establish units at all Base Hospitals for parents who do not want their children to leave them, and that willing parents would be facilitated to adopt children at the hospitals themselves. "There should be facilities for parents to adopt children at hospitals within a short period through a simple and transparent process. We are planning to introduce such provisions."
When queried as to whether the Government would amend the relevant laws, she said that she had already discussed the matter with the Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms, President's Counsel, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe. "We have discussed with Dr. Rajapakshe and he said that the relevant laws would be amended so as to make the process of adopting children simple," she explained.
The adoption of children is a method where the relationship between the parents and the child who are not biologically connected to each other is created by an artificial mechanism. The Sri Lankan adoption law is governed under the provisions of the Adoption of Children Ordinance, No. 24 of 1941 as amended. According to the relevant provisions, any person can make an adoption application to the District Court where such applicant or child resides, after which the Court will make an order of adoption.