Eighteen people are currently attending the first training course by Agenzija Appogg since the service was transferred to the agency from the Department for Social Welfare Standards at the beginning of the year.

Addressing this group of prospective adoptive parents at the first session of their training course, Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Joe Gerada commended their decision to adopt a child with the aim of improving his or her quality of life. He also emphasised the commitment that all parents have to the best interests of the child and guaranteed the support of the agency’s professionals and the commitment to train and guide them.

The course is being delivered by trained members of Appogg staff, who will also be charged with getting to know the individuals concerned and guiding them through the process of becoming adoptive parents. The objectives of this training are to fully explain the whole adoption procedure, to identify the difficulties that adoptive parents might encounter during the raising of an adopted child, to support the applicants and offer them the necessary guidance. The whole procedure, apart from several hours of training, also includes the presentation of a report by the service staff members to the Adoption Board, after which the board members will take a decision as to whether the applicant/s can adopt.

Currently there are 180 adopted children in Malta, in 133 families. The nationalities of adopted children vary, as Maltese people can adopt from various countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, Bulgaria, Russia and Kazakhstan.