Israeli families offer to adopt Haitian orphans

Israel: January 26, 2010, (PCTV Newsdesk)

More than 30 Israeli families have volunteered over the past 10 days to adopt Haitian children orphaned by the massive earthquake on January 12, according to the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ).

ICEJ reports that after Israeli authorities in Haiti were instructed to offer homes for orphaned children in Port-au-Prince, representatives of the Foreign Ministry and Welfare and Social Service Ministry's adoption department met on Thursday to discuss what the policy would be for adopting Haitian orphans.

ICEJ says that several issues must be addressed including background checks on families and their preparation, health examination policy, and preparation for dealing with interracial issues.

Meanwhile, UNICEF issued a warning on Friday concerning the battle against child trafficking and sexual exploitation as a result of the devastation and crisis afflicting Haiti.