In Bulgaria, an abandoned child’s likelihood of being adopted has historically been determined by his origins. Children who belonged to the Roma minority had little chance, because parents often refused to give up their parental rights – even for children they’d placed in orphanages.

“But a new law that came into force in October means children who have spent more than six months in institutions and have not been taken back by their parents can now be put up for adoption, without the parents’ approval.” [Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)]

Bulgaria has one of the highest rates of child abandonment in the European Union. An estimated 6,700 children are currently being cared for in state-run institutions, many of them placed there by parents who can’t afford to care for them. Of those, less than 700 were adopted in 2009, mostly due to un-relinquished parental rights.

Labels: international, abandonment

Posted By: Adoption Issues