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SINGAPORE: More couples in Asia are turning to child adoption as a means to starting a family.
To educate such couples on the subject, a Singapore-based agency, Touch Adoption Services, has started a series of seminars.
James, 42, and his wife Silke Vaz had problems bearing a child, having married late in life. In-vitro fertilisation was never an option for them, so they turned to adoption as an alternative.
The Vaz family went to Touch Adoption Services, Singapore's first adoption agency, under the TOUCH Community Services.
According to the agency, legal adoption in Asia is facing teething problems.
Teo Seok Bee, a senior manager at TOUCH Adoption Services, said: "Adoption is a growing trend, particularly in Asia.....In Singapore, there are not so many resources and expertise in this area, and there is growing interest among adoptive parents to learn how to enhance the attachment with their children."
Although the concept of adoption is not foreign in Asia, the stigma of not having one's own child is among the problems couples face.
TOUCH Adoption Services tries to change all that by bringing people together to discuss the issue.
Dr Lark Eshleman, a child psychotherapist, said: "Families may feel embarrassed or have some shame about not having their own children biologically....we are coming to people to talk about the beauty of adoption and the fact that there should be no shame."
The Vaz family has two adopted kids - 13-month-old Annika and 8-week-old Luisa.
They came from Malaysia and now they bring joy to the Vaz family every day.
But Silke Vaz advises couples looking at adoption to think carefully before jumping in.
"I would say you need to be assertive, you need to be strong, because there will be bumps along the road. It's clear that some people might not understand why you have adopted (the kids) and they will ask strange questions," she said.
TOUCH adoption agency saw over 450 successful adoptions last year. - CNA/ir
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