Thesis Abstract

The case of abandoned children was the order of the day in many decades ago. This was due to single ladies who fell victims of unwanted pregnancy, death of parents, killing of parents and so on. As a result of this, the federal ministry of health services in Nigeria saw it as a change which led to their devising a means through which such children can be taken care of. They introduced what is called foster care and adoption in Nigeria in 1965 with the passing into law of adoption Act of No.12 in the then Eastern region of Nigeria.This work is aimed to examine cases of adoption of babies was dependent of sex of babies.

Thesis Overview

INTRODUCTION

In every year there are cases of abandoned children born by single ladies who fell victim of unwanted pregnancy and most at times with failed attempts to terminate the pregnancy. There are also other cases of abandoned children due to death of parents; these children are being taken to motherless baby home.

Therefore foster care means the temporal stay of child in a home that is not his/her for certain period of time while adoption is the permanent placement of a child in another home for care and upbringing.

Nwankwo F. (1979) described foster care and adoption as when a woman has an unwanted child, who could abandon child at the social welfare office for them to take care of him/her in order to avoid problems in the future. But before she abandon the child she will sign an undertaken making clear that she is handling the child over to be adopted permanently by anybody who wish to have the child. She would be to require to take an oath that she would never ask for the child again in her life time.

Eze okafor (2004) said that foster care and adoption takes place when parents who have children wanted either male or female child or fell like rendering help to humanity by adopting an abandoned child comes for adoption. The probation officer gives them guidelines to write letter specifying the sex they want.

The application is to notify the officer of their intention. The officer will give them four (4) forms to fill, he will hand over the child with sex and age duly specified after approval by a medical doctor to the prospective parents take care of the child for short time of about five or six months and then send the child to the probation officer who in turn send the child for another medical checkup.

The officer will also recheck the home of prospective parents and if it is conductive, he will recommend that after careful investigation on the ability and fitness based on the application to adopt the couple are therefore recommend fit adopt the permanently.

Eze okafor (2004) said in continuation that the recommended by the probation officer and interpret it in a lay man’s language to the prospective parents.

The chief magistrate will quote Mathew 7 vs 7 to them if they find out they are Christians “ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find and knock and it will open unto you” the court will remind them about love and charity. The chief magistrate will give final order that the court satisfied and that the application to adopt this child having fulfilled all the necessary condition in accordance with laid down law of adoption act NO. 12 of eastern Nigeria 1965.

Foster care and adoption was introduced by the state ministry of health services when the work load was too much on them.

So, foster care and adoption were said to have formally started in Nigeria in 1965 with passing into law of adoption act NO. 12 in then Eastern Nigeria which include Abia, Imo, Cross river and Ebonyi state.

Prior to Nigeria civil war government paid huge amount of money to foster parents for care and upbringing of children they adopted. This was because only few parents were willing to adopt motherless babies by them.

The reason was that prospective parents were afraid of what their kinsmen, relations, neighbors etc would say. Glory be to God that today revise is the case as a result of the light ushered in by civilization and a new dimension of reasoning.

1.1       STATEMENT OF PROBLEMS

It has being on media, television and other national dailies that some people who adopt these babies keep them under some dehumanizing treatment such as child abuse use them for rituals, sold them into slavery, engage them into prostitution for money making to mention but few. The researcher was worried on the state of the abandoned babies and what happens when they leave the motherless homes.

1.2    AIMS AND OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The aims and objectives of the work  include.

i     To examine causes of adoption of babies

ii   To determine the degree relation between the number of babies and the number of babies adopted

iii   To know whether adoption of babies is independent of sex

 1.3  SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDY

The result obtained from the study would ginger carefulness in the part of intending couples to see that they go through medical checkup before getting married to eschew childlessness in marriage.

It would also help government to see the need in training gynecologist doctors to see the problems of women especially during pregnancy, in order to reduce the rate of miscarriages and barrenness.

It would also help government, churches and other institutions to see the need of educating young girls to avoid sex promiscuity.

SCOPE OF THE STUDY

The scope of this study covered the period of 2002-2011, in Abia state motherless babies Ahiaeke, Umuahia  and charity motherless babies home Aba.

RESEARCH QUESTION

1. Why do some couples adopt children?
2. Does adoption of baby depend on the sex of the baby ?
3. What is the court final order to release child?

LIMITATIONS OF STUDY

In carrying out the research work, there were problems and limitation encountered ,these include finance, lack of time , inadequate attention from the personnel in the motherless homes visited and so many call backs. In carrying out the research work there were problems and limitations encountered, these include finance, lack of time, inadequate attention from the personnel in the motherless babies homes visited

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

The test is concerned with testing whether the following statements are true

HO: Choice of babies to be adopted is dependent of the sex.

H1: Choice of babies to be adopted is not dependent of the sex.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

1. FOSTER CARE: This refers to temporary upbringing of a child that is not one’s own; in this case the child retains his/her identity.
2. ADOPTION: This refers to permanent upbringing of another person’s child as one’s child. In this case the child’s identity is changed.
3. PROSPECTIVE PARENTS: This is a man or woman who expects to foster or adopt a child.
4. PROBATION OFFICER: This is a person who certifies that prospective parents meet the requirement for adopting a child.