The Central Adoption Authority (CAA), an agency under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has organised the first inception Refreshers Training for Adoption Agencies on Wednesday 17th August 2020, at the conference room of the Ministry, Accra.
The purpose of the inception training was to help the Adoption Agencies to strategize on the way forward in the adoption space in accordance with the Children’s Amendment Act 2016 (Act 937) and the Adoption Regulations 2018 ( L.I 2360).
It was also to provide training and equip the officials of the Adoption Agencies with the needed knowledge and skills on child protection issues, prevention of child rights violation, child upbringing and child development issues, among others
In a welcome address on behalf of the Chief Director of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, Dr Afisah Zakariah, the Head of the Central Adoption Authority, Mr Stephen Tikai Dombo expressed his gratitude for meeting the Adoption Agencies to discuss the steps and mechanisms to ensure the child is protected from the abuse issues in the country.
According to Mr Dombo, Ghana in January 2017 acceded to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Cooperation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, 1993.
This, required Member Countries to authorize local adoption agencies to provide adoption services, hence the inception meeting organised.
He emphasized that Adoption provides a family setting for children in need of families.
“Children without a family are at risk of neglect and abuse. Family allows children the optimal opportunity to learn and grow,” he added.
Mr Dombo called on the Adoption Agencies to work together, share ideas, and experiences and help protect the child who is vulnerable from every form of moral and physical danger.
Participants were taken through a Child Protection Tool Kit exercise that is the balloon game to emphasize how vulnerable children are in every setting and the need for continuous care and protection for them in finding a permanent family in the adoption process.
Presentations were shown on: Review of the New Adoption Process; Overview of and use of the new adoption forms and Placement of Adoptable Children as well as the Role of stakeholders in the new adoption process, among others.
There was an open forum for Questions, Answers and inputs at every presentation shown.
