National and international adoption

A couple wishing to know what adoption is and become parents should contact the provincial Adoption Team.

In Italy, adoption is governed by Law 184/83 and subsequent amendments and deals with children who are in a state of abandonment, that is, definitively deprived of moral and material assistance by their parents or relatives who are obliged to provide for them. Adoption may be national or international. Domestic adoption is intended for Italian or foreign children residing in Italy and is decreed by the territorially competent Juvenile Court. International adoption, on the other hand, is for children and young people residing in a foreign country who cannot find a suitable placement within their country of origin.

At the couple's request, the Adoption Team deals with

• conducting the information interview, which is the first step to start the adoption process;
• organise and conduct the information/orientation courses for couples wishing to adopt
• conducting the psycho-social investigation on behalf of the Juvenile Court with the couples who have presented the declaration of availability for national or international adoption or in the special cases provided for by art. 44 of Law 184/83 and subsequent amendments and additions
• meet the couples during the waiting time for the adopted child;
• supervise, on behalf of the Juvenile Court, the proper placement of the adopted child, in co-operation with the Authorised International Adoption Agency, in accordance with the provisions of Law 184/83 and subsequent amendments and additions
• accompany the adoptive family through interventions to support parenting and the adopted child
• organising moments of in-depth study on specific adoption-related issues with experts at national level;
• organising and managing group discussions among adoptive parents; offering counselling on adoption issues.

Adoption protects every child's right to be a child: every child needs a family to build his/her identity.

Couples who wish to approach the adoption experience and become parents.

Adoption is open to spouses who have been married for at least three years, or who have lived together permanently for at least three years prior to the date of the marriage and who have not separated, even de facto, in the three years preceding the application.

The law also provides for the possibility of applying in other special situations, for which the Adoption Team is available to provide information on the specific case.

Interested citizens can directly contact the aAtion Team, which takes care of all activities to accompany the couple/family through the adoption process, in the start-up phase, when the child joins the family and at any other time support is needed.

It is necessary to call to make an appointment.

The adoption process starts with an initial informative interview of the couple with a Team social worker.

Subsequently, the couple is offered the opportunity to take part in an information/training course aimed at raising awareness on adoption issues through discussions with professionals and through the testimonies of couples who have already adopted.

Afterwards, the couple may file a declaration of availability for national and/or international adoption (application) with the clerk of the Juvenile Court.

The Juvenile Court then appoints the Adoption Team to carry out the psycho-social investigation, which must be completed within 120 days.

At the end, the Team draws up a report that provides a description of the current situation of the couple/family, communicates the contents to the couple and then sends it to the Juvenile Court.

After the adoptive child enters the family, the Team, on behalf of the Juvenile Court, carries out monitoring and support activities.