KT Archives: Nobody’s Children

Nobody’s Children

April 9, 2012 - Three babies were found abandoned in various areas of Sharjah during the last six days. A five-month-old boy was found on April 3, a two-month-old girl on April 5 and a one-week-old girl on April 7.

March 19, 2012: 10-day-old baby has been found abandoned in Ajman in the second such incident in a fortnight. The baby girl was found on Sunday, March 18, morning, police said.

March 4, 2012: Police are searching for the parents of a baby girl who was found abandoned near a villa in Sharjah last week. The 10-day old is recovering at Al Qasimi Hospital after she was found by a man who alerted the police on March 4.

18 January, 2012 - A ten-day-old baby boy was found abandoned last week on a street in Al Dhaid area, Sharjah Police said on Tuesday. This is the third incident in two months and police are searching for the parents.

18 December, 2011 - The Sharjah Police are searching for the parents of a newborn baby boy, who was found abandoned near an under-construction building in Al Badea area in Sharjah.

12 December, 2011: - A newborn baby, found abandoned in the Abu Shaghara area of Sharjah last month, was handed over to the Sharjah Department of Social Services by Al Qasimi Hospital.

25 November 2011: A new-born baby of a few days was found abandoned by the Sharjah Police in the Abu Shagarah area.

30 October 2011: Mother of a newborn baby boy was arrested by the Ras Al Khaimah Police after the body of the baby was found abandoned in a garbage bag in the trash container.

2 June 2011: A three-day-old girl was found abandoned by the Sharjah Police in a building under construction in Al Zubair.

26 April 2011: An infant was found abandoned near a mosque on the Al Kuwait Hospital Street in Ras Al Khaimah.

28 June 2010: Just a day after a month-old baby girl was found abandoned in Ajman, a newborn girl was found wrapped in a garment and placed in a bag near a house in Khor Kalba.

27 June 2010: A month-old infant girl was found at the entrance of a mosque in Ajman.

March 2, 2010: Two well-dressed baby boys, wrapped in blankets and placed in cardboard boxes, found at the entrance of a mosque in Sharjah

Feb 14, 2010: Seven-day-old girl found abandoned at the door of a mosque in Jazeera Al Hamra area of Ras Al Khaimah

Feb16, 2010: Newborn girl abandoned by parents found at a mosque in Dubai’s Naif area

Feb 7, 2010: Three-month-old girl found abandoned at the Ajman Corniche

Feb 1, 2010: Boy abandoned in Al Sahabah Mosque, Sharjah

Adoption Criteria

• The Children’s Welfare Committee scrutinises applications for adoption and select prospective ‘parents’ based on their social and economic status.

• The age of the wife should not be less than 25 and not more than 45 .The family should undertake that they will provide care to the children and the court should issue them a no-objection certificate (NOC).

• Only permanent UAE residents can adopt abandoned children.

• The Ministry of Social Affairs said in some cases, the ministry has the right to give the child to unmarried, divorced or widowed women whose age is not less than 30, or more than 50.

• The foster family has the right to give the first name, while the judge will give the father’s, family and tribe name.

• The documents issued to the child should not show that he or she is an illegitimate child.

• Once adopted, the children will bear the name of the adopting father in all records.

• After a child is handed over to a family, social services staff will visit the child frequently. These visits can drop to once a year until the child has turned six.

• During the follow up, if a problem is noticed in the care of the child, the adoption is cancelled, but if the child is in good hands, the family is allowed to renew the adoption contract.

Legally speaking...

• According to UAE law, an abandoned child can gain citizenship based on Article 17 of 1972

• This was amended in1975 which says the abandoned child would be a UAE national

• A draft of 2009 law is in the process and will be submitted to the cabinet

• The draft law calls to establish shelters for kids and lays down conditions for alternative families and obligations of federal and local departments concerned

• Foster families should inform the children of their adopted status only after permission from the social affairs department