By Munira Al-Rabiah
KUWAIT, Nov 8 (KUNA) -- A growing number of Kuwaiti couples are welcoming parentless children at their homes providing them with love, care and protection which they are yearning for.
"I were living in fear and anxiety, till a loving family adopted me," Sarah, 12-year-old adopted girl, told KUNA.
"Now, I do not worry about my future, thanks for the support and protection given to me by my new family." Hamad, nine-year-old adopted boy, said he did not face any difficulty in getting along with his new family.
"On the contrary, I was in panic when they took me to visit my previous orphanage, out of fear that they could leave me again," he told KUNA.
"I was over the moon, when I knew that a family has adopted me and I now have a family, private home and bed room." The recent years have seen remarkable increase in the number of adoptive families in Kuwait, thanks to social media.
The mass circulation of the success of stories of adoptive families have helped break up stereotypes and raise the awareness about adoption and spurred many families to take the move and welcome forsaken children, supervisor of the adopting families department at the Ministry of Social Affairs Dr. Khaled Al-Ajmi told KUNA.
He cited as examples two adoptive mothers who written their adoption stories posted it on the social networking app Instagram accompanied with real-time video clips of the children welcomed.
Their stories, which gave a glimpse of the life of an adopted child in new family, have attracted huge audience and inspired many take visit and start procedure to adopt a child, he said.
Al-Ajmi disclosed that the number of adopted children surged to 21 in 2014 compared with 13 only a year earlier.
On the adoption process and procedures, Al-Ajmi stated that the family present official adoption request and after a social work study on the family, the child is giving to them for temporary period.
After that period, social workers pay visits to the adoptive families and keep in touch with the child to make sure they are welcomed and well-treated in his/her new home before a final approval is given.
He made clear that adoptive families do not pay any fees for the whole process, but rather the ministry allocated a monthly financial support to the child.
Eman Shaalan, a social worker at adopting families house, said she usually conduct a survey about the family applying to adopt a child and if it proved acceptable, the family department finish the legal procedures.
She advised adoptive families to be frank with the child from the start and to tell them that they are not their biological parents.
If the family covered that piece of information and the child later discovers it, and this could have negative consequences on the child, he cautioned, adding that in some cases, the child even insisted on leaving the adoptive families and returning to the orphanage.
For her part, the treasurer of Kayan society for family care society Anisa Al-Jarrallah said that her non-profitable organization is aiming to encourage more families to adopt parentless children and to help integrate them into the society.
Kayan also provides the children with social and psychological support and organize an variety of activities to strengthen bonds among adoptive families and to help them exchange their experiences, she said.
She noted that her society has launched an awareness campaign themed "Color a Life" to encourage local couples to adopt.
Meanwhile, adoptive mother Zaina Al-Sultan recounted her experience of adoption to KUNA.
She noted her inability to have babies and the overwhelming motherhood feelings promoted her to think about adopting a child.
She added that the adopted child desperately needs love and passion from the receiving family.
She pointed out that the most difficult time in adoption is the early period or the time of coping with the new family and new home. (end) mar.ibi