Adoption and Kafala

Adoption is the formal, permanent transfer of parental rights to a family other than a child’s own and the formal assumption by that family of all parenting duties for the child. Where a child’s parents are living and their parental rights have not been terminated, they must provide informed consent for adoption. In some countries it is not culturally acceptable to give the parental rights to a non-family member, and therefore alternative long-term care options must be pursued e.g. kinship care. In some Islamic countries, the term ‘Kafala’ in Islamic law is used to describe a situation similar to adoption, but without the severing of family ties, the transference of inheritance rights, or the change of the child’s family name.   

 

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Faith to Action Initiative,

Parenting author Kayla Craig; Lauren Pinkston, Kindred Exchange; Kristin Langrehr, 111Project; and Stephanie Robinson, Faith to Action, share their own experiences of caring for orphans and adoption. Their reflections provide realistic ways to be involved in supporting orphaned and vulnerable children.

World Without Orphans,

Since joining the European Union in 2007, Bulgaria has sought to make changes in its child welfare system for children raised in care institutions around the country. According to UNICEF, in 2021 there were 10,000 children living in alternative care in Bulgaria - most of them were ethnic Roma or children with disabilities. This is the story of how Bulgaria Without Orphans has played a role in Bulgaria's care reform.

Changing the Way We Care,

This learning brief explores the formalization and replication of Kafaalah, an Islamic practice of caring for orphans and vulnerable children, as an alternative family-based care option in Kenya.

Sibulele Nombebe, Pieter John Boshoff,

This study, conducted in Mthatha in South Africa's Eastern Cape province, sought to describe Xhosa cultural attitudes in relation to adoption.

Changing the Way We Care,

This brief provides an overview of Kafaalah, an alternative family care option rooted in Islamic tradition, where a sponsor (Kafiil) cares for a child (Makfuul) without severing the child's ties to their birth family. It explains how Kafaalah differs from adoption by emphasizing that the child retains their birth family name and inheritance rights.

Ingrid Bosseldal,

This article aims to trace and present some themes on Sweden's history of transnational adoption, with a particular focus on the public debate and the different narratives that representatives of the adoption triangle—the adoptees, the adoptive parents, and the biological parents—tell when dealing with transnational and transracial adoption as a personal and political phenomenon.

Pablo Carrera, Maite Román, Isabel Cáceres, Jesús Palacios,

This study focused on internationally adopted children from Russia to Spanish families who suffered early institutionalization. The study found that these children were at risk of a late onset of internalizing problems in adolescence. Both pre-adoption, adversity-related, and post-adoption factors predict variability in internalizing problems in this population.

CoramBAAF, Adoption England,

This Literature Review was commissioned by Adoption England’s Regional Adoption Agency (RAA) Leaders’ Group to support practitioners in care planning for children. This summary document is for use by those directly involved in care planning, and also aims to potentially provide some support for those writing care plans and court reports for children needing permanency away from their family.

Anca Bejenaru, Sergiu Raiu, Mihai Iovu, Alina Negoesscu, Sorina Corman,

Adopting a qualitative approach, this study gave voice to seven adoption applicants in Romania who began the adoption journey with one or more children but did not complete the legal process. The goal of the researchers was to understand their experiences throughout the adoption process and disruption. The present study is part of a larger research project that focused on the resilience of the adoptive family in Romania.

The Hague Conference on Private International Law – HCCH Permanent Bureau,

The Model Forms are intended to simplify and facilitate compliance with the 1993 Adoption Convention by assisting Contracting Parties in the collection of relevant information. They contain important information regarding safeguards established by the 1993 Adoption Convention.