XN000022-1987-03-11 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1987

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NEW LAW WILL STREAMLINE ADOPTION PROCEDURE

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THE ADOPTION (AMENDMENT) BILL 1987, WHICH STREAMLINES THE EXISTING PROCEDURE FOR ADOPTION, WAS PASSED INTO LAW TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

SPEAKING IN SUPPORT OF THE BILL IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DR THE HON HO KAM-FAI SAID ADEQUATE MANPOWER RESOURCES INCLUDING TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS ASSIGNED TO THE ADOPTION UNIT MUST TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE LABOUR-INTENSIVE NATURE AND WORKLOAD OF THE SERVICE.

+OTHERWISE THE IMPROVEMENTS ARISING FROM THE STREAMLINING OF THE ADOPTION PROCEDURES WILL BE GREATLY DIMINISHED, HE SAID.

DR HO EXPLAINED THAT THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WERE AIMED AT PROMOTING THE WELFARE OF THE INFANT, WHILE ADEQUATELY SAFEGUARDING THE RIGHTS OF THOSE PARENTS WHO SHOWED GENUINE INTEREST IN THE WELL-BEING OF THE INFANT.

ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PROVISIONS IN THE BILL, HE ADDED, WAS TO ENABLE THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE, IF HE WAS THE LEGAL GUARDIAN OF AN INFANT, TO OBTAIN AN ORDER FROM A COURT FREEING THE INFANT FOR ADOPTION.

BY VIRTUE OF THIS COURT ORDER, THE DIRECTOR OF SOCIAL WELFARE COULD PROCEED TO LOCATE A PROSPECTIVE ADOPTIVE HOME FOR THE INFANT AND THE INFANT MIGHT BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE FROM AN INSTITUTION TO A HOME WITH PARENTAL LOVE AND CARE, HE SAID.

+ IT HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED THAT THE EFFECT OF LONG-TERM INSTITUTIONALISATION IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF A CHILD, HE SAID.

DR HO ADDED THAT THERE HAD BEEN A NUMBER OF CASES WHERE A CHILD HAD BEEN DEPRIVED OF A HOME FOR AN UNNECESSARILY PROLONGED PERIOD AS A RESULT OF HIS/HER PARENTS' BLATANT INDIFFERENCE TOWARD THE CHILD'S INTEREST ON THE QUESTION OF CONSENT.

+THIS DEPRIVATION IS UNNECESSARY AND AVOIDABLE IN THE LIGHT OF THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS FOR ADOPTION, LOCALLY AND OVERSEAS,+ HE SAID.

THANKING DR HO FOR HIS SUPPORT OF THE BILL, THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, THE HON JOHN CHAMBERS, SAID THE NEEDS OF THE ADOPTIVE SERVICE HAD ALWAYS BEEN GIVEN HIGH PRIORITY IN THE DEPARTMENT'S ALLOCATION OF MANPOWER RESOURCES.

+THE MANNING RATIO OF ONE WORKER TO 40 CASES, WHICH IS CONSIDERABLY MORE FAVOURABLE THAN FOR OTHER TYPES OF CASE WORK, TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THE LABOUR INTENSIVE NATURE OF THIS SERVICE, HE SAID.

THE AMENDMENTS TO THE ORDINANCE, HE ADDED, WOULD ENABLE THE ADOPTION PROCEDURES TO BE FURTHER IMPROVED AND STREAM-LINED.

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