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Adopted child completes family
Chu Hui Wing Mui treasures each day with her adopted son, Samuel. (Cherry Cheung)
By Cherry Cheung
After waiting
anxiously for about a year, Chu Hui Wing Mui was ecstatic when, in October
2000, she received news from the Social Welfare Department that her
adoption application had been approved.
After a year of nervous uncertainty, she was finally able to take 3-month-old
Samuel home on 22 November 2000.
The whole process cost her about $2,000.
“We thought that it [her application] would never be approved,”
said she.
Mrs. Chu already had a birth daughter when she and her husband decided
to adopt a child.
“We wanted to have one more child, but we could not, because of
my age and health condition,” said Mrs. Chu, who suffers from
amblyopia, which means a dimness of vision. She is nearly blind.
Their daughter, who is now a young adult, was a voluntary worker at
Mother’s Choice, and she suggested they adopt.
They submitted an adoption application in 1999.
Ng Ka Him, one of the chief social work officers in Family and Child
Welfare at the Social Welfare Department, said, “Adoption is a
legal process in which parental rights and responsibilities over a particular
child who is under 18 years old and unmarried are transferred from the
biological parents or guardians to the adoptive parents.”
Despite the lengthy application process, Mrs. Chu appreciated the careful
procedures taken by the Social Welfare Department.
“They made sure we were ready for adoption,” said Mrs. Chu,
who had to attend two talks on the meaning and responsibilities of adoption.
“They always try their hardest to find the best family for the
child,” said Mrs. Chu.
“During the entire adoption process, they make all decisions from
the child’s perspective.”
Mr. Ng said that a child’s interests are of utmost importance
in the whole arrangement.
“We are not helping childless couples to find suitable children,
but helping parentless children to find suitable parents.”
He said most applicants opt for adoption because they are childless
or want to form a family.
“They consider adoption from their own point of view only.”
However, the government supports what is best for the child.
“Many children are in need of adoption mostly because their biological
parents relinquished parental rights,” Mr. Ng said.
“Aside from parents who have died, others may have given birth
because of premarital sex, rape, or under other unfortunate situations.
“Some orphans are abandoned because they are handicapped.”
The biological mother of Mrs. Chu’s adopted son, Samuel, is a
“slow learner”. She gave him up for adoption because she
was unable to take care of him.
The adoption unit of the Social Welfare Department is responsible for
arranging local adoption programs.
International adoption is arranged by two non-governmental organizations
— the International Social Service Hong Kong Branch and Mother’s
Choice — under the watchful eye of the adoption unit of the Social
Welfare Department.
Preference is given to local families over foreign applicants because
of the cultural similarities between local families and local children.
The Social Welfare Department counsels biological parents before they
sign legal papers that will relinquish their parental rights to their
child.
“We advise them on the consequences of relinquishing their rights
and advise them to think carefully,” he said.
The Social Welfare Department publishes pamphlets concerning the eligibility
of potential adopters.
Applicants must be at least 25 years old, and those who meet the following
requirements are more likely to be chosen as adoptive parents: having
a stable marriage, a good education, good health, and upstanding citizenship.
Despite her near blindness, Mrs. Chu feels confident about her ability
to take good care of Samuel.
“I am at a disadvantage in having some trouble with my eyes.
“But there are two maids in my home, and they can help me to look
after Samuel.”
Mrs. Chu’s daughter, 19, has been raised well and is also willing
to help.
Adoption workers interviewed Mrs. Chu and her husband to prove that
they are the most suitable candidates for Samuel.
Mrs. Chu said, “They also talked to my daughter during the home
visits.
“We needed to submit medical reports as well.”
Mr. Ng said, “There are counseling services for prospective adoptive
parents before the child stays with them.
“The adoption worker writes reports, assessing the applicant’s
parental attitude and ability to meet the needs of the child.
“All these procedures help to ensure the adoption is in the best
interests of the child.”
When all parties are ready for placement, the child moves to the applicant’s
home for at least 6 months to see whether parent and child can adapt
to each other.
“During these 6 months, adoption workers visit them at least once
a month to make sure everything goes well,” said Mr. Ng.
Procedures, such as counseling, are taken to ensure the child is emotionally
ready to be adopted.
On average, a child is adopted within 3 months.
“Healthy children find adoptive families more easily than those
with special needs,” said Mr. Ng.
“Few applicants like to adopt children with special needs because
they are either mentally or physically handicapped.
“Children with complicated family backgrounds, such as being born
from a rape, or from parents with a history of drug addiction, are also
considered as children with special needs.
“Just like healthy children, they also need loving homes,”
said Mr. Ng.
After a successful adoption, adoptive parents face the dilemma of deciding
whether to tell their adopted children of the adoption.
Mrs. Chu said, “Many parents, including myself, think that it
is better not to tell the truth.”
But after attending the talks organized by the Social Welfare Department,
Mrs. Chu changed her mind.
“Samuel is only 3 and he does not understand what adoption is.
“Therefore, I use stories to let him know the concept of adoption
now,” said she.
Adopted children who want to meet their biological parents when they
grow up can approach the Social Welfare Department for assistance.
Three years have passed since Samuel arrived at the Chus’, and
Mrs. Chu is enjoying every day of it. However, it was not easy for her
at the beginning. Adapting to life with an infant was a great challenge.
“Samuel was only 3 months old when he first arrived. At that time,
my daughter was already 16. I hadn’t raised a baby for a long
time.
“It took more than 6 months for me to adapt to having a baby again,”
said Mrs. Chu.
Nevertheless, she loves Samuel.
Mrs. Chu recalled the first few days that Samuel went to kindergarten.
“He didn’t cry, while other children cried a lot.”
She also understands her child well, “The different ways he laughs
have special meanings.
“He is clever and he learns quickly.
“I love him as my own child.”
Proposed
adoption
policy revisions
By Cherry Cheung
The chief
executive men- tioned in his policy agenda 2003 that the government
will “further facilitate child adoption through amendments to
the Adoption Ordinance and give effect to the Hague Convention on Protection
of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption.”
There are 14 key proposals in the revision of local adoption policy.
Ng Ka Him of the Social Welfare Department explained two major areas
of revision.
“One of them is to forbid any private adoption arrangement where
the adoptive parents and child are not related,” said he.
“This does not ensure the best interests of the child.
“Without adoption workers’ counseling, we cannot ensure
that birth parents have thought clearly before relinquishing their parental
rights.
“Moreover, the family may not be the best one for the child.
“Therefore, we want to forbid middlemen other than the Social
Welfare Department and authorized organizations.”
The second part of the revised policy concerns overseas adoptions.
He said, “We want the Hague Convention to be effective in Hong
Kong.”
According to the International Conventions Relating to Children, the
Convention “covers adoptions between countries that become parties
to it and sets out for such adoptions certain internationally agreed
minimum norms and procedures.”
“If we join the Convention, there will be more chances for the
children.
“This also helps to promote the image of Hong Kong as an international
city,” he added.
Mr. Ng said the government started to renew the regulations in 1998.