Adoption options for expatriates

DUBAI // A new law will make it easier for Emiratis to give a child a home - but expatriates keen to adopt must still do so from overseas.

The rules, passed by the FNC last month, are going through the legislative process.

The law will enshrine the status of permanent fostering for Emiratis, while observing the Sharia-derived cultural resistance to full adoption.

But this will not be available to expatriates. Instead, they can turn to the likes of Dr Andrea Tosatto, a psychologist who runs international home study programmes at Dubai's Synergy Integrated Medical Centre.

The sessions help couples prepare for the process of international adoption. He also has clients from Oman, Bahrain and Qatar.

More than 100 couples have seen him for information or "out of curiosity" since he began working at Synergy in 2009. At least 70 per cent - from South Africa, New Zealand, Britain, the United States, Australia, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Pakistan and Japan - proceeded with an adoption.

Prospective parents must check with the government of their home country, through their embassy, about the restrictions on adoption while living abroad. They need a no-objection letter stating their home country recognises the adoption.

In Dubai, the two most popular countries from which children are adopted are Ethiopia and Mexico, said Dr Tosatto.

Couples must submit copies of their passports and visas, a police clearance certificate and marriage, birth and medical certificates, among other paperwork.

Ten hour-long parent preparation sessions are followed by a home visit, after which Dr Tosatto reports on whether the couple is suitable.

"I don't look for the ideal parent," he said. "There is no manual or kit for that."

Once approved, couples can either contact an adoption agency or go to a lawyer or orphanage in the country from where they hope to adopt.

There are no agencies in the UAE, but Dr Tosatto refers couples to the Adoption Support Group in Dubai, founded in 1990 by couples who had already adopted from overseas.

It has more than 300 families on its mailing list and supports couples considering adoption.

Meetings are held on the first Friday of every month for adoptive families to socialise and to offer hope and encouragement to newcomers.

Gerlinde Krupp, managing director at Match-Box Consultancy in Dubai, and her British husband, Steve Allinson, adopted a three-year-old girl, Sofiya, from Ethiopia in 2010.

She has guided about 130 families through the process, with 45 to 50 couples proceeding with adoption.

Parents should be emotionally stable and have realistic expectations, according to Dr Tosatto.

"They have to be united in their intentions and if one is hesitant to adopt, it is better to stop," he said.

"If you go through adoption thinking, 'We'll get a child', but you feel that having an adoptive child is just another way to get your own child, then it's not the right attitude."

rruiz@thenational.ae

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.

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The rules on fostering in the UAE

A foster couple or family must:

be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
not be younger than 25 years old
not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially