ADOPTION PRACTICE UNDER THE CHILD'S RIGHTS LAW OF ANAMBRA STATE

Abstract

Children are the life wire of a marriage; they bring joy and feeling of accomplishment to marriages. It is in a bid to remedy the malady of Childlessness in marriages, and to give life to marriages that couples who are unable to conceive resort to adoption of children. Also, people of many religious backgrounds believe that their religion calls on them to adopt in order to help children, even people who aren't religious choose adoption to help make the world a better place. However, a child in Anambra State cannot be lawfully adopted through mere religious, traditional, customary or communal process faulted with illegality. As such, adopting a child without adherence to Anambra State Child's Rights Law, 2004 is kidnapping and child trafficking. Using a doctrinal research methodology, this paper analyzed the adoption practice under the Anambra State Child's Right Law, 2004. The paper found out that the procedure for adoption practice under the Anambra State Child’s Right Law, 2004 is relatively cumbersome. The provisions require adopters to complete various processes before adopting a child from an authorized and regulated child care facility or orphanage In view of the foregoing, this paper recommended among others that active measures should be taken to make child adoption process more effective and less cumbersome.