Rogue Children Homes: Emotional Blackmail

She was visibly sad. That kind of sadness that can only be experienced by one who was in love. One who was trying to come up from the throws of brokenness? They say that love hurts. But in reality it is the people we love that hurt us. And sometimes the people around those that we love hurt us. But that is a story for another day.

Erald* (not her real name) was a woman who really loved. She loved this child with everything that she had. Everything that she was. This child was her hope. This child was her life. She had decided early in life that she would adopt a child. She was not interested in having her own child.

When she felt that the time was right, she, oblivious of the proper procedure for adoption, proceeded to visit a children’s home. She told them that she was desirous of adopting a child. The home, like hungry wolves, pounced on the situation to make some money out of the abundance of Erald’s heart. They let her mingle with the children, and allowed her to develop a strong attachment to one particular child. She had full confidence in the home. After all, it was registered and would receive children from Directorate of Children Services regularly.

The home even allowed her to take this particular child out and start living with the child. She did not know that this is illegal. They told her that they needed her to bond with the child before they could give her the adoption. She was excited. She took the little girl as her own. Her family knew that this was a done deal. Three months later, all hell broke loose. The director of the home appeared with armed guards. He told her that they needed to take the child away. She was puzzled. He told her that the home was revoking the arrangement. He produced a copy of the placement order placing the child at the home. He then told her that if she wanted to continue keeping the child and bonding with her, she had to part with some money.

Erald was a lady with a startup business. She did not have the cash they asked of her. She also felt that they were asking her to “buy” her time with the child. It did not feel right. But what would she do? She loved the girl like her own. She needed to have time. She asked a friend to loan her the money. She paid. They left her alone. This repeated itself several other times when she had to “buy” her time with the child. She honestly loved the child.

Two months later, the police are on her door. They identify themselves as Child Protection Unit officers. They are with officers from the Directorate of Children Services. She is arrested. The home had reported the child missing. She was treated as a suspect for child abduction. Her pleas fell on deaf ears. Her child, the little love in her life, was taken away from her. She had lost money. Ended up with a broken heart, and a criminal case. After all, ignorance is not a defence.

Folks, this is a scenario that happens to many people seeking to adopt. People who fall in the hands of rogue homes. People whose crime is being ignorant, having a big heart, and wanting to have a child of their own…through adoption.

Please watch the video link attached to this post and learn the proper procedure to follow for an adoption. Beware of the rogues.