Page 30 of schooling, etc.). It is even lower when a large number of children are recipients. - Recovery procedures. Although it is relatively easy to recover maintenance payments from a parent who earns a salary, by recovering from source, it is more cumbersome when the parent works in the rural sector. Current legal provisions stipulate that maintenance is to be recovered by a bailiff. Unfortunately, poor women do not have the resources to pay the bailiff‟s fees. E. Adoption and Periodic Assessment of Child Placement (Article 24) 1. Child Abandonment: a Growing Phenomenon Child abandonment is a growing phenomenon in Cameroon. The problem is the result of uncontrolled sex among adolescents, parental irresponsibility and poverty against a backdrop of deteriorating ancestral ties of solidarity, which, in recent times, has worsened with the impact of HIV/AIDS and the problem of child trafficking and slavery. Nearly 300,000 orphans and vulnerable children are at risk of finding themselves without support or a family because of HIV/AIDS and its stigma. The public authorities, in conjunction with development partners (the Global Fund and Bi-Multi OEV) and participation of civil society organizations (Synergies Africaines, the Chantal Biya Foundation), are seeking solutions to the problem. Current initiatives focus on identifying these children and ensuring that they have access to basic social services; but appropriate mechanisms must also guarantee their physical protection and provide for their integration. Initiatives are planned for opening shelters like those in Yaoundé and Garoua, hostels and other facilities for children in distress. Financial support will be vital in this regard. The introduction of the status of “public welfare child” is also envisaged in order to define the conditions of eligibility for full adoption of such children. 2. Alternative Care Measures Two types of alternative care are currently provided in Cameroon: interim alternative care and permanent alternative care, with periodic assessment and monitoring of the child placed in care.