Eighteen persons are currently attending the first training course being delivered by Agenzija Appogg since the service has been passed over to the agency from the Department for Social Welfare Standards at the beginning of this year.

Addressing this group of prospective adoptive parents during the first session of their training course, Joe Gerada, CEO of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, commended the participants’ choice to adopt a child and aiming to improve his/her quality of life. He also emphasised commitment that all parents have towards the best interest of the child. Mr Gerada also guaranteed support by the agency, the commitment to train them, guide them and offer the necessary support by the agency’s professionals.

Trained staff within Appogg are delivering this preparation course and will also be in charge of getting to know better these individuals and guide them throughout the process in their effort to become adoptive parents. The objectives of this training are to explain better the whole adoption procedure, go over the difficulties that adoptive parents might encounter during the upbringing of an adopted child, support these 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 a decision on whether the applicant/s can adopt, will be taken by the Board members.

Currently there are 180 adopted children in Malta in 133 families. Nationalities of adopted children vary as Maltese persons can adopt from various countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, Guatemala, Bulgaria, Russia, Kazakhstan, amongst others.