PERCEPTION OF CHILD ADOPTION IN IKWERRE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
1.1.1 Problem of Orphans in Ikwerre
1.1.2 Children homes in Ikwerre
1.2 Problem Statement
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Specific Objectives
1.5 Research Questions
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Organization of the Study
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Introduction
| 2.2 | Concept of child adoption ……………………………………………………………………………………… | ||
| 2.3 | Theoretical Review …………………………………………………………………………………………………… | ||
| 2.4 | Agency factor influencing the adoption process ………………………………………………………….. | ||
| 2.5 | Family factors influencing child adoption process ………………………………………………………. | ||
| 2.6 | Child factors influencing adoption process…………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 2.7 | Legal requirements factors and child adoption process in Ikwerre………………………………….. | ||
| 2.8 | Conceptual Framework ……………………………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 2.9 | Chapter summary ………………………………………………………………………………………………….. | ||
| CHAPTER THREE ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |||
| RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ………………………………………………………………………………… | |||
| 3.1 | Introduction ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 3.1.1 | Site Description ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 3.2 | Research Design……………………………………………………………………………………………………… | ||
| 3.3 | Study Population …………………………………………………………………………………………………….. | ||
| 3.3.1 | Sample size and sampling procedure ………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 3.3.2 | Unit of analysis and observation …………………………………………………………………………….. | ||
| 3.4 | Data collection tools ……………………………………………………………………………………………… | ||
| 3.4.1 | Questionnaire ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 3.4.2 Interviews ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………. | |||
| 3.4.4 | Key informants interviews …………………………………………………………………………………….. | ||
| 3.4.6 | Secondary Data Review ………………………………………………………………………………………… | ||
| 3.4.8 | Validity of the research instrument …………………………………………………………………………. | ||
| 3.4.9 | Reliability of the research instrument ……………………………………………………………………… | ||
3.5 Data Analysis Technique
3.6 Ethical issues
3.7 Operationalization of variables
CHAPTER FOUR
DATA ANALYSIS, PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Introduction
4.1.1 Response Rate
4.2 Demographic Information
4.3 Agency factors and child adoption process
4.4 Family factors and child adoption process
4.5 Child factors and child adoption process in Ikwerre
4.6 Legal requirements factors and child adoption process in Ikwerre
CHAPTER FIVE
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of Findings
5.3 Discussion of Findings
5.4 Conclusions
5.5 Recommendations
5.6 Areas of further studies
REFERENCES
APPENDICES
APPENDIX I: QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CHILD ADOPTION AGENCIES, CHILD SERVICES
DEPARTMENT, CHILD WELFARE SOCIETY AND PARENTS
APPENDIX II: INTERVIEW GUIDE FOR KEY INFORMANTS
ABSTRACT
The number of adoptions in Ikwerre had been rising over the years. An examination of the factors that lead to successful child adoption would therefore inform the policy makers and the individuals interested in adoption on how to go about the process successfully. Few studies have been done on child adoption process in Ikwerre. For instance, Mbuga (2008) studied child adoption and its implications on children in difficult circumstances. The study revealed that child adoption process was limited by non-sensitization of Ikwerrens on child adoption. The target population of this study was the management staff of the 50 children homes in Ikwerre. The study used purposive sampling technique to sample children homes and simple random sampling to select the respondents. The study sought information from two of the top managers in the operations department in each of the children homes. This gave the study a sample size of 140 respondents and ten key informants from the government officials from the Child Services Department, High Court, and adoption agencies. Data collection was done using questionnaire and interviews guides. The quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20). The qualitative data was analyzed using content analysis. From the findings, The study concludes that the agencies play an important role in the child adoption process in Ikwerre.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
Adoption is establishment of parent-child relationship which is non-biological and largely non-genetic (Lakshmi and Thanikachalam, 2007). It is the transfer of rights and responsibilities of a child from its birth parents to adoptive parents. Jones (2008) defines adoption as a mechanism by which adults legalize their parental relationship to non-biological children as well as a means to bring children into families. The Children Act of 2001 of the Laws of Ikwerre does not define what child adoption is.
According to Terry et al., (2004), domestic and international adoptions allow many couples and singles to build a family or add to an existing family. They noted that international adoptions provide greater access to healthy infants and toddlers but child theft and trafficking are growing as a global concern with respect to international adoptions. Through a nonparametric test they showed statistical evidence that the annual growth rate of international adoptions has increased significantly more than domestic adoptions in recent years.
The United States is one of the major baby-receiving countries in the world. This prompted Zhang and Lee (2011) to explore the reasons why Americans prefer to adopt foreign-born children instead of adopting minority children domestically. They found that other than infertility reasons, concerns about domestic adoption, and the uneven domestic supply and demand of “desirable” children, there was a perception that American children available for adoption presented difficult problems whereas foreign children presented interesting challenges. The problems inherent in children from American foster care were confounded with race differences.
The Department of Children Services has set up an adoption secretariat and has facilitated the registration of 5 local societies and 15 foreign Adoption agencies. Ikwerre acceded to the Hague Convention on the protection of children and international Adoptions in year 1993. Over 2.4million children are orphaned, majority of them as a result of HIV/AIDS among other factors, in absence of support, these children engage in child labour, sex tourism, early marriages and some live and work in the streets, beg, engage in drug and substance abuse, trafficking-small arms, mugging, theft etc.
1.1.1 Problem of Orphans in Ikwerre
One of the ways Ikwerre has responded to the orphan crisis is by seeking to provide support for family members to be able to better care for the children (Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, 2008). This support includes cash subsidies to households caring for the orphans (Biemba, et al., 2009). Additionally, the government has sought to promote domestic adoption, guardianship, and foster care (Joint Council on International Children’s Services, 2009). The government of Ikwerre recommends that children should only be placed in institutional care as a last resort (Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, 2008). Inter-country adoptions account for about 10% of all adoptions in Ikwerre (Joint Council on International Children’s Services, 2009). A study of 23 receiving states revealed that between the years 2003 and 2009, approximately 310 Ikwerren children were adopted by citizens of other countries (Selman, 2010).
1.1.2 Children homes in Ikwerre
There are 50 children homes registered in Ikwerre involved in the child adoption processes. The Ikwerre Children’s Home Adoption Society was registered in 2005 by the Country’s Adoption Committee of Ikwerre, to conduct both local and international adoptions. Through the agency, advice and support services are offered for those looking to adopt as well as those offering their children for adoption.
The Adoption Society caters for children from both Ikwerre Children Homes and from other children’s homes countrywide. Ikwerre Children’s Home Adoption Society takes time and effort to tailor services to the unique emotional, physical, spiritual and financial needs of families, working together for the child’s best interest. In recent years the agency has formed unique legal adoption contracts with many other countries, allowing families from those countries to apply for adoption of Ikwerren children through the agency. The agency strives to place children into well-screened and suitable homes whilst also keeping within the ethos of the society and adhering to best practices and the best interests of the child.
1.2 Problem Statement
The number of adoptions in Ikwerre had been rising over the years. For instance, the number of local and international adoptions was 125 in 2005, 178 in 2006 and 225 in 2007. Jones (2008) admits that even in the US, adoption remains rare. Through a study in the US, the author notes that among all women aged 18-44 in 2002, only 1.1% had adopted a child and 1.6% were currently seeking to adopt. Given the large number of orphaned children in the country, the successful adoption rates are still very low and there is therefore need to establish the factors that influence successful child adoption in Ikwerre.
Few studies have been done on child adoption process in Ikwerre. For instance, Mbuga (2008) studied child adoption and its implications on children in difficult circumstances. The study revealed that child adoption process was limited by non-sensitization of Ikwerrens on child adoption. Lalinde, (2009) on the social and cultural factors that influence legal child adoption in Nigeria, Ikwerre. According to this study, Ikwerre has a clear and defined legal process for adoption. Although the process is legally streamlined and efficient, it is perceived by people as very difficult to follow and not easy to understand. The adoption process also requires the adoptive parents to hire lawyers and cater for the court process which poses logistical challenges to majority of the adopting parents. The previous local studies did not investigate on the agency factors, family characteristics and child attributes affecting child adoption process in Ikwerre. Informed by this knowledge gap, the present study therefore sought to investigate factors influencing child adoption process in Ikwerre, a case of children’s homes in Ikwerre.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study was to establish the factors influencing child adoption process in Ikwerre
1.4 Specific Objectives
The study was based on the following specific objectives;
- Establish pubic perception on child adoption process in Ikwerre.
- Assess the influence of adoptive family characteristics on child adoption process in Ikwerre.
- Examine the influence of child attributes on child adoption process in Ikwerre.
- Investigate the influence of legal requirements factors on child adoption process in Ikwerre.
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PERCEPTION OF CHILD ADOPTION IN IKWERRE
