Baby harvesting scandal: Child adoption process not complex

The Department of Social Welfare has debunked the notion that the application process for child adoption is cumbersome.

This comes on the back of the arrest of some 11 persons in connection with baby harvesting and human trafficking at some health centres in Accra.

The group sold two baby boys for GHS30,000 and GHS28,000 respectively.

The Deputy Director in-charge of Child and Family Welfare at the Department of Social Welfare, Fred Sakyi Boafo explained that “the application form costs GHS70 and after going through the process one will spend on the average GHS1,200 “.

He argued that this process is seamless and “adoption from the start to the end should not be less than three months.”

“The process being long is a wrong perception. The process is not long. To start the process of adoption, it starts from the regional social welfare. If you start the process and someone is frustrating you, you can reach the head office through me and action will be taken”, he noted.

He outlined the reforms with adoption where until 31st December 2019, “absolutely free apart from the purchase of application form” but “fees were prescribed for adoption” by Parliament on 31st December 2019.