MONDAY, MAY 20, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: The North Goa District Child Protection Unit (DCPU) has taken a significant step by releasing an advertisement seeking guardians or prospective adoptive parents for 21 children currently residing in a Specialised Adoption Agency in the district. The move comes amid a recent surge in incidents of young children being abandoned by their parents in public spaces across Goa.
The advertisement, which includes the names, ages, and photographs of the children, aims to reunite them with their families or identify potential claimants, such as guardians, grandparents, or relatives. The children's ages range from 8 to 18, and in all cases, the names of their parents are unknown, although their dates of birth are available.
Peter Borges, the Chairperson of the Goa Child Commission for Protection of Child Rights (GSCPCR), praised the DCPU officer's actions, describing them as a "positive step." Borges emphasized the importance of following due process to declare these children legally free for adoption, ensuring their well-being and best interests are prioritized.
“This notice is part of the due process required to declare these children legally free for adoption,” Borges stated. “Every effort is made to reunite them with their families or identify potential claimants to provide them a secure and nurturing environment. However, if no claimants come forward within the stipulated 60 days, these children will be declared legally free for adoption to ensure they find a loving and secure home. The primary goal remains the well-being and best interests of every child under our care,” he added.
The advertisement comes at a critical time, as Goa has witnessed several instances of children being abandoned by their parents in recent months. While in some cases, the police have managed to trace the parents, in many others, the whereabouts of the parents remain unknown after deserting their children.
The DCPU's initiative highlights the precarious situation faced by these vulnerable children and underscores the urgent need to provide them with stable and nurturing homes, either through reunification with their families or adoption by loving parents.
The advertisement says
"This is to inform the General Public that the child mentioned below is staying in a Specialized Adoption Agency in North Goa whose parents/relatives' whereabouts are not available. As per the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) Act, 2015, any claimant for this child like guardian, grandparents, relatives, etc are kindly requested to contact the Directorate of Child and Women Development, 2nd floor, Old Education Building, 18th June Road, Panjim. If no valid claims, the said child will be declared legally free for Adoption," read the advertisement issued by the North Goa District Child Protection Unit.
Furthermore, the name of these children are as follows: 12-year-old Lucky Mishra; 15-year-old Geeta Mishra; 13-year-old Pooja Yadav; 14-year-old Laxmi Yadav; 15-year-old Laskh Jalanila; 17-year-old Pushanjali Huddar; 18-year-old Omni Shek; 15-year-old Manjulula Gaural; 16-year-old Nandini Gosavi; 16-year-old Ramazn Bi Shaikh; two 8-year-old twins, namely Laxman Singh and Ram Singh; 10-year-old Sakshi Singh; 16-year-old Michael Hussain; 16-year-old Sanjay Hanchanmani; 17-year-old Laxmi Hanchamni; 17-year-old Vishal Chawan; 16-year-old Ajay Gaural; 15-year-old Viru Gosavi; 15-year-old Fatima Shaikh; and 15-year-old Prakash Salonki.
