Colombian Culture, Colombia Adoption and Raising Colombian Kids

Every weeknight on Colombian Institutional Television, there is a program that lasts just about 1 minute called Niños Buscan Hogar . This is a program where ICBF can publish the photograph and identifying information of children who are in Protective Custody. ICBF publicizes these pictures in hopes of finding family members somewhere in the country that might be able to assume responsibility for and the care of the child. Many of the children adopted by ICBF have appeared on the program. Here is an example of what the program is like:

When a child is given a valid resolution of adoptability , a whole series of events is set in motion. The child will be reevaluated by a team of professionals. 1. Doctor Visit: Blood tests checking for HIV, Syphilis, and Hepatitis B are administered. There is a final report that will state the health status of the child and declare that they are free of communicable disease. Often, there will also be a dental evaluation if one has not already occurred. 2. Nutritional Evaluation: This report will provide information about the child's height and weight and offer statistics on the child's percentile on Colombian charts. Often, there will be information on the child's eating habits and food likes and dislikes. 3. Psychology and Social Work: A report on the life history and family background of the child is prepared. The report also includes information on the child's personality, talents, habits, behavior, attitudes, aptitudes, significant conduct issues,...

Within 1-2 working days of the child's entrance into protective custody, the initial evaluation reports are presented to the Family Advocate ( Defensor de Familia ). He/she will then open an investigation with a Resolución (resolution). This is often called the process of Reestablecimiento de Derechos (Reestablishment of Rights). The Investigation assumes that the child's rights have been violated ( Vulneración de Derechos) for _____ reasons (ie. abandonment, neglect, abuse, etc.). The end goal is to ensure that the child's rights, as defined by the Law 1098 of 2006, can be reestablished. These rights include the "right to a family and to not be separated from it," and the child's right to food, education, clothing, protection, etc. The ICBF official I spoke with explained that a social worker is then assigned to the case. There is always a home visit, when the child's parents are known. If the parents need help to improve their parenting, then they are...

Once the child has been deemed healthy enough to leave the hospital, temporary placement for the child will be determined. The following guidelines are typically used. For children under 7 years of age the placement should be in a foster home. For children over 7, when no foster home is available, placement is in an orphanage. It is important to note that there are many more orphanages than there are CASAS PRIVADAS DE ADOPCION . Nearly every larger city has orphanages, some run by religious orders, others are secular in nature. In smaller cities or towns, even older children are often placed in foster homes because there are no orphanages. When considering placement, there is an effort to keep sibling groups together, though it is not always possible. Sometimes, boys are sent to one institution while girls are sent to another, or older siblings are sent to an institution while younger siblings are sent to a foster home. Additionally, sometimes even younger children, particul...

While I was in Colombia, I was able to interview a director at ICBF. It was great to be able to ask some questions about the process. Over the next couple of days, I'd like to share what I learned. Today I would like to explain the first step that children go through when they enter protective custody with ICBF . Step 1 -- The arrival of the child . Many people have asked me, "Why or How do children end up in the ICBF system?" The answer isn't easy as children come for all of the same reasons that they do here in the States -- abuse, drug use, neglect, etc. But you can add to that poverty and displacement. The ICBF official that I spoke with explained that there are several ways that a child can arrive, for example, there could be a report of child abuse or neglect, or a child could be found abandoned, or arrival may come as a result of a conscious decision on the part of the parents to give up custody. The official was also quick to point out that "Poverty is ...