Knowledge and attitudes toward child adoption and fostering among infertile women in northern Nigeria

Background: Infertility is a public health problem in the developing countries. However, the role of child adoption or fostering in the management of infertile couples is underexplored, particularly in northern Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study involving the use of a structured interview questionnaire was employed to collect information from clients attending the infertility clinic of Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital (AKTH), Kano. The data were analyzed using MINITAB® 12.21 software. Percentages and means were used to describe categorical and quantitative variables, respectively. The chi-square test was used to assess the significance of associations using a confidence interval of 95%. Results: Majority of the respondents (69.7%) were between 25 and 34 years of age, and of Hausa/Fulani ethnic group (79.6%). Knowledge of child adoption was good in 59.2% of the respondents, while the willingness to adopt versus foster was 28.2% and 44.4%, respectively. Conclusion: There is a need to advocate for infertility counseling services, so as to support infertile clients in taking informed decisions regarding child adoption or fostering as viable options for having their own families

Child Fosterage and the Developmental Markers of Ovambo Children in Namibia: A Look at Gender and Kinship

The purpose of this study is to better understand the practice of child fosterage both in and out of crisis among Owambo speaking people in Namibia; Southern Africa. The study utilized the existing 2000 Namibian Demographic and Health Survey (N=5949) (Macro 2000). Results indicate that when controlling for age of the child; fostered children experience less education and probability of attending school than biological children. Degree of relatedness to the head of household further differentiates the disparities. Gender differences emerged to disadvantage less closely related boys. No differences were found between orphans and non-orphans in education or health. Fosterage seems to be a protective factor for orphans closely related to their caretakers. Understanding how gender and kinship; and the broader context of fosterage shape family life for both orphans and non orphans may help the development community identify interventions for the most vulnerable of children in Africa