Qualitative research into the root causes of child abandonment and child relinquishment in Viet Nam International Social Service with support from UNICEF Viet Nam & MOLISA 2013-2014 1 Table of content Authors .......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Acronyms used .............................................................................................................................................. 5 Foreword ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Chapter 1: Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 19 1.1 Viet Nam’s commitment to children’s rights .................................................................................... 19 1.2 Context of current study ................................................................................................................... 21 1.3 Specific particularities about timing of the study ............................................................................. 21 1.4 Objectives of the present study ........................................................................................................ 22 1.5 Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 23 1.5.1 Research method ....................................................................................................................... 23 1.5.2 Desk review ................................................................................................................................ 24 1.5.3 Research team ........................................................................................................................... 24 1.5.4 Group interviews and expert interviews with key stakeholders ............................................... 25 1.5.5 Mixed method approach ........................................................................................................... 25 1.5.6 Semi-structured interviews ........................................................................................................ 26 1.5.7 Quantitative methods ................................................................................................................ 26 1.5.8 Research locations ..................................................................................................................... 27 1.5.9 Structure of the report ............................................................................................................... 27 1.5.10 Research limitations ................................................................................................................. 28 Chapter 2: Unravelling the terminology ..................................................................................................... 29 2.1 Complexities of the Vietnamese language ....................................................................................... 29 2.2 Child abandonment and abandoned children in Viet Nam .............................................................. 30 2.3 Child relinquishment and relinquished children in Viet Nam ........................................................... 30 2.4 Placement of children in institutions ................................................................................................ 30 2.5 Amalgam of terms and their consequences ..................................................................................... 31 Chapter 3: Scope of child abandonment, child relinquishment and children in institutions ..................... 33 3.1 Important qualifications ................................................................................................................... 33 3.2 What do we know about the magnitude of abandoned and relinquished children? ...................... 33 3.3 What we know about children in institutions................................................................................... 35 3.4 What we do not know about abandoned and relinquished children and children in institutions ... 36 Chapter 4: Child abandonment ................................................................................................................... 38 2 4.1 What do we know about nature and root causes of child abandonment? ...................................... 38 4.2 What do we know about the different actors involved when a child is abandoned? ...................... 39 4.3 What child protection measures are available when a child is abandoned? ................................... 40 4.4 What do we know about recent child abandonment trends from the research? ............................ 41 4.5 What potential risks do abandoned child face? ............................................................................... 43 4.6 What key legal frameworks address child abandonment? ............................................................... 43 4.7 What key policies address child abandonment? .............................................................................. 45 4.7a Past policies ................................................................................................................................. 45 4.7b Present and future policies ......................................................................................................... 45 Chapter 5: Child Relinquishment ................................................................................................................ 46 5.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 47 5.2 What do we know about the single mothers and child relinquishment? ........................................ 47 5.3 What do we know about the decision-makers in the relinquishment process? .............................. 48 5.4 What do we know about circumstances and motives regarding child relinquishment? ................. 49 5.4a Case example 1: Trinh ................................................................................................................. 50 5.4b Case example 2: Duc and Hien .................................................................................................... 51 5.4c Circumstances characterised by multiple problems can lead to relinquishment ....................... 53 5.4d Motivations of “a better future for my child” can lead to relinquishment ................................ 53 5.4e Being an unmarried mother may lead to relinquishment .......................................................... 54 5.4f Being a girl may be an additional factor leading to relinquishment ........................................... 55 5.4g Money motivations may lead to relinquishment ........................................................................ 56 5.5 What do we know about the consequences of child relinquishment? ............................................ 57 5.5a Parents’ motives for relinquishment may be misunderstood .................................................... 57 5.5b Children who are relinquished may be adopted without the consent of parents ..................... 58 5.5c Parents’ have acute emotional needs immediately after relinquishment ................................. 59 5.5d Parents’ have unaddressed expectations and needs well after relinquishment ........................ 59 5.6 What are the laws and policies that govern child relinquishment? ................................................. 61 Chapter 6: Why institutional care is chosen for children from the mothers’/parents’ perspective .......... 62 6.1 Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 62 6.2 What do we know about social protection centres? ........................................................................ 63 6.3 Absence of infant day-care ............................................................................................................... 64 6.3a Case example 3: Quynh ............................................................................................................... 64 6.4 HIV-infected mothers and social stigma ........................................................................................... 66 3 6.4a Case example 4: Kim ................................................................................................................... 67 6.5 Domestic violence ............................................................................................................................. 68 6.5a Case example 5: Twin sisters ...................................................................................................... 68 6.6 Administrative maze ......................................................................................................................... 69 6.6a Case example 6: Huyen ............................................................................................................... 69 6.7 Better future prospects ....................................................................................................................