Italy: A War on Intercountry Adoptions

The Italian intercountry adoption system, once the strongest in Europe, has been paralysed over the last years.  Numbers went down by 50 %.

Not as squeaky clean as the agencies pretend, the Head of the Central Authority, Silvia Della Monica (a former judge), is trying to put things order.

Source:   http://www.avvenire.it (Full article in Italian, with also the state of play in Congo, where the Italian Embassy is putting pressure to get children, but the Italian Central Authority seems to keep blocking  it)

Viviana Daloiso
April 8, 2016

A War on Intercountry Adoptions

​​In the chaos of international adoptions  the latest, very heavy statements of the president of Cai [Central Authority] Silvia Della Monica, came like a rain of rocks: that – it is unveiled for the first time – this body did not meet for over two years “because there is a conflict of interest” with agencies that “are albeit indirectly acting within the Commission itself.” And it is only the beginning.

The failed adoptions

“There is an “abnormal situation”, compounded by “questionable behavior” of the agencies, both on the economic front, compared to the rigor of the adoption procedures, in which I’m trying to restore legality” – explains Della Monica -.

“Even subjecting it to regulators and controls. In other words: the adoption system is flawed, from the inside. More even: “The previous management (to name a few of the former president: Andrea Riccardi, Cécile Kyenge, Carlo Giovanardi, Rosy Bindi, ed) have used Commission funds so reckless. That’s why thousands of families have been left with no refunds.”

Follow alarming serious events: yesterday morning the same president of the Cai signed a memorandum of understanding with the State Police “in order to make the action of protection and security”of the procedures more effective. Law enforcement agencies, that is, from now on “will support the Commission in the performance of control activities against the authorized bodies [agencies]”. A protocol similar to the one signed with the police in June 2015. There would be material to immediately request a commissioner. Cai, which reports to the Prime Minister’s Office, is the body which actually depend on adoptions in our country and that should be enough to control them if it does not work, adoptions do not work, if there is misconduct, there are improprieties even in adoptions. There would be, above all, material to alert the embassies of other countries in Italy: what is happening? Really Italians authorized bodies [agencies] are no longer reliable?

…/…