Int’l experts to help fix adoption gaps

Local policymakers have partnered with international legal experts to overhaul Jamaica’s adoption and foster care frameworks, aiming to strengthen child-safety protocols and eliminate bureaucratic delays that leave prospective parents on years-long waiting lists while children remain stranded in state care.

Global legal body Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) has pledged to work directly with the Government and state agencies to build a tailored child-protection framework as the country reviews its domestic adoption and fostering legislation.

Speaking at a plenary session at the US Embassy in Kingston on Thursday during a multistakeholder engagement, Ignacio Goicoechea, HCCH representative for Latin America and the Caribbean, noted that international legal rules must translate into practical, real-world protections for vulnerable children.