CAIRO – 10 August 2023: Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Qabbaj held Wednesday a dialogue with orphanages on the existing terms of adoption, and signed a protocol with "Yalla Kafala" foundation to identify relevant shortcomings.
The orphanages' representatives put forward the objections and concerns of foster families. Those include updating the status of children every six months; the need to obtain a permit to travel with adopted children; and fears that the biological parents would appear and attempt to blackmail foster families.
Regarding that matter, the minister noted that coordination is ongoing with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that foster families would maintain custody over the children.
Other demands included protecting adopted children against discrimination at schools and universities, and enabling foster families to open accounts in their name at banks and adding them to their memberships in sport/social clubs.
Minister Qabaj stated that the number of orphans in Egypt is 1,430,000. Seventy percent of those lost their father, 27 percent lost their mother, and three percent lost both parents. Many of those are partially funded by the government and charities.
Egypt is launching its first orphan hosting center, whose mission will be providing temporary residence to children aged between zero and six for a maximum of three months until they are adopted, by either extended family members or foster families, or sent to orphanages.
The center will be run by 'FACE for Children in Need association.' The agreement was signed in February in the presence of Minister of Social Solidarity Nevine al-Qabaj. The facility's capacity is 200 children, and it lies in Cairo's 15th of May City.
The services provided there will include the issuance of birth certificates, and screening for diseases. However, this specific center will only serve Greater Cairo and Alexandria.
The ministry organized in November the second community dialogue on the "Alternative Care" draft law aimed at promoting child adoption in Egypt, and hence, achieving less reliance on orphanages.
The dialogue was attended by the UNICEF Egypt chief, and representatives of civil society, international agencies, governmental bodies, writers, and religious figures.
In that context, Minister Nevine al-Qabaj shed light on Article 80 of the constitution, which stipulates the right of every child in a name, documents of identification, mandatory vaccination, healthcare, family or alternative care, basic nutrition, shelter, religious education, and emotional and knowledge development.
The minister showcased the launching of an ambitious strategy on alternative care in 2021. The strategy aims for turning the extended family into caregivers, in case of the loss of both biological parents or stripping them of custody rights, with the ministry covering the larger part of expenses.
If the extended family is not an option, the other choice becomes small and safe families, so as facilities become the last resort. Equally, the minister pointed out that the ministry works on bolstering control mechanisms to hold accountable anyone who abuses children.
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