Post by Bozur on Apr 10, 2005 16:51:43 GMT -5
The arduous road to adoption in Greece
Complicated and time-consuming procedures at state institutions leave the door wide open for illegal and legal private transactions
By Lina Giannarou - Kathimerini
”I wanted a child. What was I supposed to do? I tried everything possible, including IVF, to have a child of my own, but to no avail. The repeated failures began to take a toll on our marriage. We went to the state institutions but by the time our turn came my husband would have reached the upper age limit for adopting a child. That was when we began exploring other options, telling everyone we were looking for a woman who could not keep her child. One day, through an acquaintance, we were approached by a lawyer who knew of such a case. We had to pay a quite hefty amount, ‘to the woman, who is in need,’ we were told, although I’m not sure she ever got the money. But we couldn’t let the opportunity pass. We had no choice; it was either pay up or never have a child. So we paid.”
This could be the story of any one of those in the 25 percent of the population with fertility problems. Adoption is becoming the solution for more and more people. Artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization carry no guarantee of success and the costs remain high.
Greece’s adoption procedures are in need of reform. Bureaucracy at the state adoption agencies is a major problem. The waiting list at the Mitera Children’s Home is over five years, while the large demand and low supply mean that selection procedures are very strict. Prospective parents are ruled out if their incomes are low, if they have a history of illness, or if they are considered too old.
Disappointment leads people to seek other solutions, leaving the field open for illegal networks ready to prey on the desires of couples desperate to raise a child.
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54092
Complicated and time-consuming procedures at state institutions leave the door wide open for illegal and legal private transactions
By Lina Giannarou - Kathimerini
”I wanted a child. What was I supposed to do? I tried everything possible, including IVF, to have a child of my own, but to no avail. The repeated failures began to take a toll on our marriage. We went to the state institutions but by the time our turn came my husband would have reached the upper age limit for adopting a child. That was when we began exploring other options, telling everyone we were looking for a woman who could not keep her child. One day, through an acquaintance, we were approached by a lawyer who knew of such a case. We had to pay a quite hefty amount, ‘to the woman, who is in need,’ we were told, although I’m not sure she ever got the money. But we couldn’t let the opportunity pass. We had no choice; it was either pay up or never have a child. So we paid.”
This could be the story of any one of those in the 25 percent of the population with fertility problems. Adoption is becoming the solution for more and more people. Artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization carry no guarantee of success and the costs remain high.
Greece’s adoption procedures are in need of reform. Bureaucracy at the state adoption agencies is a major problem. The waiting list at the Mitera Children’s Home is over five years, while the large demand and low supply mean that selection procedures are very strict. Prospective parents are ruled out if their incomes are low, if they have a history of illness, or if they are considered too old.
Disappointment leads people to seek other solutions, leaving the field open for illegal networks ready to prey on the desires of couples desperate to raise a child.
www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/news/content.asp?aid=54092