GOVERNOR Sanwo-Olu has commended the ministry of youths and social development for ensuring the standardisation of the adoption process put in place by Adoption and Fostering Unit of the ministry.
Babajide Sanwo-Olu said information reaching him from the publics revealed that the performance of the unit has not only met international best practice but gone a long way in making adoption process seamless for prospective adopters.
He said this at the State House during a meeting with staff of the Ministry of Youth and Social Development led by the Commissioner, Olusegun Dawodu.
The governor said:”On behalf of the state government and the entire Executive Council, we appreciate the way the officers of the Adoption and Fostering Unit have conducted providing excellent service delivery to the people of the state.”
Further applauding the ministry for the empathy and level of professionalism displayed by the staff in discharging their statutory obligations, Sanwo-Olu directed that a 12-Seater Bus be given to Adoption and Child Protection Units, the sum of #2.5million each for the units and other undisclosed gifts.
Responding on behalf of the ministry, Dawodu stated that being
cognisant of the essential role played by the Adoption and Fostering Unit,he personally saw to it that the Ministry would not fall short of the expectations of the publics.
In his words: “With the rise in the cases of the infertility and the attended increase in the number of people who apply for adoption, it has been a very viable option through which many families have been given opportunity to have a child/children they can call their own. In the same vein,many vulnerable children have been given opportunity to grow in a safe,conducive and decent family environment. This process has helped the society. Many of the grown up children are doing well in their various callings locally and inter nationally.”
The commissioner also disclosed that as part of efforts to make the adoption process robust and transparent,the ministry has put in place innovative approaches to tackle the challenges posed by the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic as well as ensuring strict compliance with the provisions of the Child’s Right Law 2015(Sections 119&119)which specify the criteria that must be met by both the prospective adopters and the child who may be adopted.
