The Thai government is responsible for processing and controlling all international adoptions of Thai children. The international adoption process normally takes a year or more, and the government struggles with inadequate facilities and staff to provide care for these children, particularly newborn infants, during the processing period before the children can be placed.
In an urgent and exceptional situation during 2008, Opportunity Foundation provided care for a very premature baby, the result of a "failed" abortion. This child, a victim of abuse and abandonment at birth, is now healthy, happy and doing well. This child is now in the process of adoption by a Thai family in our community. This experience gave many insights into the needs of the young girls as birth mothers, the newborns with no parent to nurture them, and the government’s need for assistance in caring for these babies.
After research and discussions with the relevant Thai government authorities, Opportunity Foundation is currently applying for required permits that would make us a qualified social welfare facility of the Thai government. We feel that this is an area of much needed assistance, where we can benefit the child during the critically important first weeks and months of the child’s development. It would be ideal for Thai families to adopt these babies, because the process is much faster, enabling the infant to quickly be placed and begin to bond with the adopted parents. If Thai parents are not available for matching, and the child is matched for international adoption, Opportunity Foundation will provide nurturing and developmental care for the child to the very best of our ability until the international adoption process is complete and the child is given to the adopted parents.
This is a new area of work for us. It was identified as a definite area of need during recent discussions with the Buriram provincial government. We are looking for both volunteers and staff for this work. We will nurture and develop these children from newborn to two years, and perhaps older in exceptional cases. Some may be premature. Some will be the result of "failed" abortions. These infants, with special and loving care, can develop to be wonderful children, adopted by good families. We know because we have already seen that happen!
