In Argentina, there are more than 9,700 children and adolescents who had to be separated from their families of origin after suffering abandonment or violence. Currently, they live in homes under the protection of the State, waiting for a judge to define their situation: that they can return to their families of origin or that they be given up for adoption. On average, these children spend between three and four years in institutions waiting for their fundamental right to live with family to be restored. There are many birthdays, Christmases and first days of school that go by without having the love of a mother or a father.
LA NACION sought, through different formats, to give a voice to these children, which in general are not heard. “”I want a family”” is a special on adoption that aims, through a series of newspaper articles, to sensitize the population about the reality of the thousands of children who live in homes and wait years to have a family. What do they dream of? What kind of family do they imagine? What is life like in foster care? These are questions that are sought to be answered in the articles.
Most of the kids who are waiting to be adopted in Argentina, are over six years old, can be part of large groups of siblings or have some kind of disability or health problem. However, 90% of the people who are interested in adopting would only accept children under three years of age, without siblings and without health problems.
The last resort available to the Argentine adoption system to find a family for the children for whom it is more difficult to find one is through “public calls”, which are called open to the entire community. However, there are still many people who are unaware of its existence.
What does it consist of? Anyone can apply, even if they have not previously been listed in the adoption records. Currently, there are more than 200 children and adolescents who are looking for a family through public calls and the newspaper articles of the special “”I want a family”” aiming to tell their realities. As in Argentina it is not allowed to show the photos of these children, resources were sought to show their personal characteristics and their tastes, while preserving their identity: illustrations, photos of the objects they play with, among others.
In recent years, LA NACION published numerous public calls that, thanks to the national scope of the newspaper, were read by thousands of people. In many cases, these kids were able to find a family. LA NACION is undoubtedly one of the few media outlets that provide in-depth and sustained coverage of the time on adoption in Argentina, with an eye on impact journalism. We are convinced that newspaper articles such as those published in this special can have a profound impact on the reality of thousands of children waiting to be adopted.
