"A lack of faith has been created between families in very
dire situations and [State] welfare services to the point
that there are families who should receive temporary
assistance and some sort of help and they do not turn to the
social bureaus out of fear and dread their children may be
taken away for adoption. This is a fact out in the field that
families in need of the system's assistance refrain from
taking this assistance," said MK Rabbi Avrohom Ravitz upon
proposing legislation that would modify and improve the
Adoption Law to place greater weight on the family's wishes
regarding the placement of children given up for adoption.
Justice Minister Tomy Lapid, speaking for the government,
opposed the initiative but agreed the government would
support it on condition it was made into a parliamentary
motion. Rabbi Ravitz accepted the suggestion and it was
approved with a majority of 80 MKs with no opposition and was
passed on to the Knesset Labor and Welfare Committee for
further deliberation.
Lapid's main objection to the proposed law was that such a
committee should not come between the social worker who
submits the recommendation and the judge who approves or
disapproves it.
Rabbi Ravitz claimed he knows of many families in crisis
situations whose children the social workers chose to send to
strangers for adoption rather than to family members who were
willing to take them, which would allow the biological
parents to maintain ongoing contact. Therefore he asked that
the law stipulate that family members such as aunts and
uncles who express a desire and willingness to adopt a child
will receive preference. "Let us not be hasty in distancing
the child from his family and his parents," said Rabbi
Ravitz.
He also proposed that a public committee be set up to assess
and control social workers' recommendations. According to the
proposal the committee, to be comprised of a rov, or another
religious figure in the case of a non-Jewish child, and a
retired judge, would accompany and assess additional aspects
beyond the work done by the social workers. "The issue of the
child's future family must also be scrutinized. This, too,
must be taken into consideration. True, we must always see to
the good of the child first but the child's good is not the
only factor. Therefore I propose there be a committee that
would accompany the child and decide what type of solution be
provided for this child."
