Family Minister Michael Falzon has called for a change in culture that favours open adoptions, as the number of local adoptions remains low.
A total of 234 children have been adopted over the past nine years, only three of whom were adopted from Malta.
Most of the children adopted over the past two years were from India.
Falzon said on Thursday that of the 23 children adopted last year, three were from Bulgaria and one from Malta. The rest were adopted from India.
In 2020, 18 children were adopted from India, two from Portugal, and two from Malta.
The minister, who urged for more local adoptions, told Times of Malta that recent legislative amendments and financial grants have facilitated local adoptions.
“However, the biggest push would come once there is a change in culture towards accepting the concept of open adoption. This means that when children are adopted, they retain open contact with their biological parents.
“There are currently 460 children in alternative care, 260 of whom are being fostered. I would personally like to see more adopted children.”
Addressing the same press conference, Foundation for Social Welfare Services (FSWS) Alfred Grixti noted that the new Child Protection Act has also allowed for more stability among fostered children by introducing the concept of permanency after five years of fostering. There are currently 72 children living with their foster parents under a permanency plan.
'Willing to discuss concern over legal amendments'
Government and Opposition MPs are discussing amendments to the law that, among others, would see the central authority that regulates adoption, currently within the Social Care Standards Authority, move to the FSWS.
According to the proposed change, the director of the central authority will be an FSWS official, and they will “at all times act in an impartial manner”.
PN MP Claudette Buttigieg has, however, questioned how an FSWS-led central authority could keep in check the FSWS itself, FSWS social workers and the national adoption agency which also falls under the FSWS.
She also raised the issue at a meeting by the Committee for the Consideration of Bills earlier this month.
On Thursday, Falzon told Times of Malta the government was willing to discuss the concerns raised by the committee members.
He stressed that the aim was to ensure the central authority’s autonomy, noting he had no issue with ensuring increased impartiality if this was possible.
“We are currently at the committee stage going through the details of the proposed amendments. With the exception of one section, over which there were political differences, the rest of the clauses were recently approved by parliament unanimously... I have no doubt we’ll proceed in a similar fashion.”