Parents to be reimbursed for expenses related to child adoption

The family ministry said on Tuesday afternoon that parents will be able to apply for a grant of up to €10,000 to cover expenses incurred during the adoption process

Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Alfred Grixti (left) and Family minister Michael Falzon (right)
Foundation for Social Welfare Services CEO Alfred Grixti (left) and Family minister Michael Falzon (right)

Parents choosing to adopt children from overseas will receive a grant of up to €10,000 to cover expenses related to the adoption process, Family minister Michael Falzon said on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking during a visit to a family that had recently adopted a six-year-old girl from India, Falzon said the grant represented another electoral pledge, which was being enacted by the government.

The minister said the grant would only apply to those adopting children from abroad after the 10 October 2017, adding that an adoption would be considered concluded once the courts are satisfied that all legal requirements have been fulfilled. 

The financial help parents will be able to access is intended to cover expense related to accommodation in the country of adoption, travel expenses, the cost of translations and others, the ministry said.

Falzon urged parents looking to adopt, and who had any queries to contact Appogg for guidance on filling in the necessary documentation and to book an appointment with a social worker who will explain the process to them.

More information could also be obtained from the Adoption Service Malta Facebook page, he added

The minister said there had been 44 adoptions from foreign countries last year.  

Gerald Cardona, the young girl's father, expressed his gratitude for the help he and his wife had received to complete the process. The family said it hoped that the grant would encourage more parents who were considering adoption.