The country is said to be witnessing a growing interest in child adoption.
Data from the Central Adoption Authority (CAA) confirms that 158 families have sought to adopt children in the first half of this year alone, with 220 various interested parties having made enquiries about adoption within the same period from the CAA, which operates under the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection.
Per January 2023 statistics from the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), on average, it was receiving from across the country about 20 applications for adoption a month.
This translated into some 240 a year, and we can guess that the figure could not cross 300.
The average number of applications that received a court order of adoption, which is the document that completes an adoption process, was reported to be five a month.
The five translated into 60 approvals in a year, and we can say that even if there were some changes, the figure could not cross 100.
If we agree to work with these figures, then the 158 figure for the first half of this year indicates an increase in the desire to adopt in the country.
It is on record that in times past, formal adoption of children in the country was not a welcome idea as it was considered a foreign culture.
However, people, including relatives, could accept the responsibility of living with and caring for other people’s children.
In recent times, however, awareness creation and education have led to a growing interest in adoption as a solution for childlessness by individuals and couples who desire to be parents and even some people who have their own children but wish to have more to care for.
Generally speaking, adoption is the process by which an adult takes over parental responsibility for a child based on certain circumstances.
Prominent among the circumstances is the fact that the child in question does not have parents.
In some cases, the children have parents, but the family is in need, and the parents consent to adoption.
Usually, it is couples incapable of bearing a child of their own who adopt.
Adoption then allows adoptive individuals or couples to legally take responsibility for the child.
If, in the past, adoption was not the norm in the country, why is it growing now?
It is said the number of adoption applications is soaring because awareness of adoption is now on the rise.
Today, the stigma associated with adoption is gone to a large extent.
The Ghanaian Times believes that such awareness has opened up advantages to both the adoptive individuals and the children being adopted, and, in some cases, the parents or families giving out the children for adoption.
For instance, the adoptive parties can experience the joy of having a family.
Besides, when people adopt for inheritance purposes, they can be sure that their estates are in good hands.
In the case of the children, where they are needy, they can have a family that can secure them a safe future.
Among other benefits, orphans can have the privilege of growing up in a family and having relatives who would make them feel like any other human.
Though there can be some challenges, generally, adoption is good for those who need it.
