Adoption plan brings fears

Press, 12 May 1984, Page 9

Adoption plan brings fears

A plan by the Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child for an adoption service has increased the fears of some social workers and women’s groups in Christchurch already worried about the growing number of private adoptions. Spokeswomen for the Single Mothers Support Group and The Health Alternatives for Women group have doubts about the counselling bias of such a service. They cite stories of young women being put under pressure or offered large sums of money to have their babies adopted. Plans to launch the service have been announced by S.P.U.C. Its president, Mr Peter Barry-Martin, said the agency would arrange adoptions through the courts but with the co-operation of the Social Welfare Department. Private adoption is still legal in New Zealand although it was outlawed recently in Britain. The department’s adoption social worker in Christ-

church, Mrs Monica Pirie, said that the growing number of private adoptions was causing problems but fears about the S.P.U.C. service seemed groundless at this stage. Checks she had made within the department had found nobody with any knowledge of the proposal. Private adoptions accounted for 10 of the 30 adoptions in Christchurch last year. “Over the last two years there has certainly been a big increase,” Mrs Pirie said. “What is concerning is that people are approaching birth mothers on behalf of people they know wish to adopt.” The situation would probably continue with the department being unlikely to accept, for at least another 18 months, any new applications in Christchurch from couples wanting to adopt, she said. A social worker for the Catholic Social Services, Ms Marion Delprado, said that a S.P.U.C. adoption service would create extra pressures for young pregnant

women in particular. Clients seeking pregnancy counselling at her agency had spoken of private individuals, doctors, religious groups, and staff members at one hospital who had approached them about giving up their expected child for private adoption. “There was one particular case where the girl said she had been offered money by the people who wanted to adopt,” Ms Delprado said. She would like to see the laws allowing private adoption changed, perhaps making it impossible. All women had the right to make their own decision without pressure about abortion or adoption. They also needed the right kind of counselling and support. “It has been brought to our notice because there are women who now approach agencies and, because they have not had counselling at the time (about adoption), are having great difficulties coming to terms with it,” Ms Delprado said.