Domestic Adoption: Its Practices, Opportunities and Challenges in Adama City, Oromia/Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the practices, opportunities and challenges of domestic adoption in Adama city. Qualitative research method was used. In depth interview, key informant interviews and document review were employed to collect data from first hand informants. A total number of twenty five (25) informants were interviewed and participated in the study in there convenient place and time. These include six (6) adoptive parents in the case of in depth interview, thirteen (13) individuals from community member and six (6) key informants from three adoption agencies (one governmental and two nongovernmental agencies) were interviewed. To interpret the data which is gathered through primary and secondary sources, I use thematic analysis method. The data gathered revealed the perception of community members about adoption, the enabling factors and challenges of domestic adoption before and after adoption, how peoples perceive domestic adoption, the practices of adoption in Adama city and ways of improving the practice of domestic adoption according to participants. As the finding of the study, conditions in which parents can adopt a child without any payment, the current government attention given to domestic adoption, norms and practice of Guddifachaa and other factors such as the presence of adoption agencies or child care centers which facilitate domestic adoption, the simplicity of the eligibility criteria by the government and the legal framework, the presence of children who are in need of a caregiver and easy accessibility of child care centers are some of the opportunities to adopt children domestically. On the other hand, fear of being open, lack of support from family members, the tedious process of adoption, lack of transparency in some adoption agencies, excluding disabled children, physical and psychological condition of the adopted child and misconception about the issue of adoption in most of community members are the factors raised in the study as a challenge which hinder the practice of domestic adoption. Based on the results, the study provides some recommendations relevant for practitioners, adoptive parents, government sector offices and academic institutions to promote domestic adoption