If you are a couple who is ready to have a baby and happen to be considering adoption and are you are unaware of the procedure and requirements, then you are reading the right article. We collaborated with New Life Home Trust, a renowned children's home, to give us a little background about themselves as well as information about the adoption process in Kenya;
New Life Home Trust, founded in 1994 by Christian couple, Reverend Clive- who received his training in engineering and Mary Beckenham- who received her training in nursing whose mission is to rescue abandoned and other extremely vulnerable babies between the ages of 0-6 months.
The home seeks to provide a compassionate Christian response to the plight of abandoned and other extremely vulnerable babies, with priority given to those who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS. The home has two registrations with the Kenyan government; they are registered both as a Charitable Children's Institution (CCI) and as a Private Medical Institution (PMI). This means that we are able to rescue infants and babies and care for them in a holistic way.
The children's home is located in Kilimani area in Nairobi and it has other satellite homes in Kisumu, Nyeri and Nakuru. Having being in existence for over 24 years, they have placed over 900 babies with adopted families.
How they keep afloat: The home, over the years has received generous donations in form of cash, products and services by majority of their friends and well-wishers. Something they remain extremely grateful for.
The babies are rescued from different places; majority of them come from various hospitals across the country. In addition, they work directly with police stations where cases of abandonment are reported by "Good Samaritans". Furthermore, some babies are received through the Children's Department. Finally, babies come to us through the Adoption Agencies, when they have been given up for adoption by their biological mothers.
Ways in which the babies find a home; The home works hard to exit them from the home either through reunification (to their biological family), reintegration (to their "home" community), foster care, or adoption. However, there are some children who for one reason or another have not exited our institution and they are still under our care. We have a few school-going children, some in primary school and a few in secondary school.
What is the main reason why people adopt?Many people assume that adoption is only for couples that are not able to conceive (yet) their own biological children. However, the main reason they adopt is to give a needy child a home, love, care, and a future.
What are some other reasons why people adopt?Some Kenyans have been unable to conceive their own biological children, sometimes because of medical reasons, so adopting children affords them the opportunity to be parents. Others adopt children because they want to supplement their existing family with a child or children of a particular sex and/or age. Some parents opt to adopt when their biological children grow up and leave home; such parents feel they have the space and energy to bring up another child. Also, many single people adopt (both men and women) as a way of offering a home and parental care to a child that would not otherwise experience family life.
The Adoption Procedure;The government has licensed Adoption Agencies to facilitate adoption processes locally.
In Kenya, adoption is completed through a Court Oder by the High Court. The Court Order states that the child is now registered as a member of their new family in the same way as if they were born into it.
Before the court can authorize an adoption, the adopting family or individual is required to be assessed and approved by an Adoption Agency, duly registered by the Department of Children's Services. Adoption Agencies have the legal mandate to avail children for adoption, approve parents for adoption, and to place children into the new families. The Adoption Agencies' social workers will be happy to take you through the adoption process in a discreet and considerate way.
What are the minimum requirements a Kenyan family must attain to make them eligible to adopt a child?In Kenya, for one to adopt the first child, the following prerequisites have to be met:
- Must be above the age of 25 and below 65 (married or single)
- Must be 21 years older than the child to be adopted.
- In case of a joint application, the couple must have been married to one another for at least three years.
- Single applicants (male or female) are not allowed to adopt children of the opposite sex except under special circumstances.
- The person(s) must be of sound mind.
- The person(s) must have no criminal record.
