Maltese people are renowned for their affection and the desire they have to care for and raise their children.

For a number of reasons, some people choose to bring up a child who is not biologically theirs with that sort of passion and as though he was their own.

People undertake such a challenge either because of infertility, owing to family circumstances, for example when one of the biological parents marries a spouse who is not the child’s natural father/mother, or else because someone wants to give a chance to another child even though they ‘have their own’.

Some weeks ago, during my programme Għandi Xi Ngħid on TVM, we discussed this issue at length. I realised that this matter is much more complex than we think.

The international community has taken a series of actions to guarantee an adoptive process that is transparent and suited to the needs of the child in question. The strongest and most representative agreement we have is the convention on protection of children and cooperation in respect of inter-country adoption, which Malta has ratified. This is complemented by local legislation, namely, the Civil Code and the Adoption Administration Act. At this point in time, there are circa 50-60 inter-country adoptions and one to two Maltese adoptions a year before the Adoption Board. Once given the go-ahead, the prospective adoptive parents start the process, namely linking up with an agency, exploring the different possibilities when it comes to choosing the countries where to adopt from, preparing the home, organising the extended family, getting prepared financially and so on.

So what are the burning issues here?

The adoptive process of Maltese children still leaves a lot to be desired. It seems that we prefer to have children placed in residential homes than giving them a respectable family life.

The cost of adopting through particular agencies and from specific countries verges on the nonsensical. I myself have come across parents that quote €30,000 for a single adoption from non-Hague Convention countries. This is outright abuse considering that the cost of an adoption can be much lower than that.

Fees and costs are not set out clearly and I’ve been told of legal fees varying by hundreds of euros from one agency to another. There are not enough checks, balances and controls within the context of having agencies mushrooming all over the place.

People in the process of adopting already have enough to deal with emotionally and mentally

From what I can understand, the authorities in Malta are doing a brilliant job but we need to keep strengthening the government structure in place by providing sturdier legislation, more information for prospective adoptive parents (by building on the good work of the Association of Adoptive Parents) and exercise closer scrutiny of private adoptive agencies.

Now that IVF is subsidised by the State, I wonder whether this should provoke a discussion on the possibility of financing a part of or the whole adoptive process.

Each agency, private or not, is obliged to provide training, home study reports, contacts with ‘sending’ countries and post-adoption monitoring. However, one wonders whether all such agencies have the necessary competencies for them to be able to do what is required of them.

Family and Social Solidarity Minister Michael Farrugia said it is fitting to review the adoption law and look into the procedures and practices of private adoptive agencies. He said there is a dire need to sign new agreements that provide prospective adoptive parents with children.

The truth of the matter is that people who are in the process of adopting already have enough to deal with emotionally and mentally. What we need to do is to make sure that structures and mechanisms are in place so that these prospective adoptive parents can focus on the adopted child’s welfare and well-being.

As the adoptive and prospective adoptive parents I met kept telling me, this is not about charity, this is not about heroism, this is simply about giving the child a present, a future, a family and an opportunity.

As a community, we have to bear in mind that we are in duty bound to make this life transition as smooth as possible.

Andrew Azzopardi is senior lecturer at the University’s Department of Youth and Community Studies.