Wards of the state waiting for parents to call their own
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- čas přidán 29. 09. 2019
- Every year, thousands of Taiwanese find themselves unable to care for their children. Those children are taken in by a few select organizations, and many are put up for adoption. For these orphans, they are in government care until the day their luck changes and they become the newest member of a loving home. Today in Part 1 of our Special Report, we see what it''s like to be a ward of the state. The children who live at the Good Shepherd orphanage in Tainan were brought there for a number of reasons. Some were abandoned by their parents. Some were born out of wedlock. Some were abused or neglected. For all the children, this orphanage is where they call home. One-and-a-half-year-old Hsiao Yuan arrived here when he was only a few months old. Abandoned by his parents, Hsiao Yuen craves affection. Tung Pei-yuOrphanage childcare workerActually, they all lack a sense of security. We have to give them extra hugs.Without parental care and interaction, these children tend to develop more slowly. Their caretakers have to pay special attention to make sure they reach their developmental milestones.Tung Pei-yuOrphanage childcare workerBecause these kids don’t have that one-on-one engagement - because they don’t have moms and dads who talk to them every day - they are indeed at risk of developing more slowly. As much as possible, we avoid wearing face masks so they can see the shape of our mouths when we talk. But no matter what the orphanage workers do, they are unable to provide sense of belonging that comes with being part of a family.Hsu Hui-chingOrphanage volunteerThey were born with bad luck, but their day will come. There will be parents who can adopt them and give them a good home. When it comes time for their luck to change, we’ll wish them the best.According to statistics from the health ministry, every year social welfare organizations get more than 2,000 phone calls that are about handing children over to orphanages.Pai Li-fangChild Welfare League FoundationThe No. 1 reason cited for giving up children is financial hardship. The second most common reason is that relatives are unable to help care for the child. The third most common reason is that the child was born out of wedlock. These reasons have been in the top three every year for the past three years.To thwart child trafficking and related problems, Taiwan made private adoptions illegal in 2012. Today all adoptions not involving blood relatives must go through an authorized agency. Currently, there are nine such organizations with 13 offices across Taiwan.At the Taichung branch of the Child Welfare League Foundation, we have a play date with the Tang family. No sooner had they entered than they launched into a ball game.The little girl is lively and energetic. She pulls her father to the floor for a game of Chinese checkers.It’s a whirlwind of activity, and Mr. Tang couldn’t be happier.This little girl came to his family when she was eight months old. Despite many years of marriage, the Tangs never had a biological child. Although married life was great for the couple, they felt something was missing.Mr. TangFatherYou always feel that a little something is missing. You can’t put your finger on it. Then you think about it. You think about other people outside with their children. The dads and moms are like, “Stop fussing.” The children want them to buy this or that, and for the parents it’s so annoying. But for you, it’s the start of a question: “Why doesn’t my family have that?”Friends suggested that the couple try in vitro fertilization, but Mr. Tang didn’t want to see his wife suffer the pain of the procedure. After much deliberation and discussion, the couple decided to go a different route. They went to the Child Welfare League Foundation and filed an application to adopt. After rounds of interviews and courses that lasted more than a year, they welcomed a daughter to their home. Mr. Tang still remembers the thrill of seeing a photo of his child for the first time.Mr. TangFatherI felt, hey, this is my daughter! I showed it to my parents and they said, “She’s quite cute.” My mind was racing, thinking that my child was coming and I had to prepare. I began thinking about that all the time.After her arrival, these new parents found themselves tripping over themselves as they scrambled to learn what to do. When she became old enough to understand, they told her that they were not her biological parents. They made it known early on that she was adopted.Mr. TangFatherWhen you decide to go down the path of adoption, you have to stand by the decision. All our neighbors knew our daughter was adopted. A few days ago, her classmate asked her, “You’re adopted?’ She said, “Yes, I’m adopted.” She feels that this makes her special.The fact of her adoption is no secret at all. Her parents want her to understand that she was chosen and that she’s deeply loved.Mrs. T...
If I’m lucky, someday I will adopt one. I fell in love with Xiao Yuen (baby crying & picked up).
I would love to adopt. Unfortunately, the price is way too high for me. I don't understand when it's obviously a massive problem in lots of countries. If a child is adopted, they don't have to look after that child anymore, therefore saving money. Surely it's more important that the child his loved, well cared for, safe and happy. There's so many good homes for them to go to. But they've got their priorities all mixed up. In some way, they are no better than child traffickers, basically selling the children.
I do agree but it’s to really guarantee the child is well worth it for the orphanage to let them out.
Why had Chinese gov blocked international adoption!!!!!!!! I could give baby great life in England
Can I volunteer? Who can I contact?
I want to adopt when I'm old enough. Taiwan has a huge lgbt community, and are the first in Asia to legalise gay marriage. If they open up adoption to these people, they'll see many more children adopted. This has been the case in every single nation that legalized gay adoption