Adoption in Italy
Encyclopedia
Adoptions in Italy numbered 4,130 in 2010. This figure relates to overseas adoptions
, domestic adoption
from within Italy being relatively difficult.
In 2006 there were 11,000 couples in Italy on the waiting lists of various adoption agencies.
As in most jurisdictions, prospective adoptive parents are required to undergo assessment and must show that they will make suitable parents. Italian law requires adopters to be married (or living together) for at least 3 years. There are also restrictions on the age difference between the prospective parents and the child or children they wish to adopt. Adoption by gay couples is illegal in Italy, as is adoption by single parents.
According to statistical data published by the Italian Commissione per le Adozioni Internazionali, 2010 was the year with the highest number of international adoptions by Italian couples. The Commission for International Adoptions, chaired by Undersecretary Senator Carlo Giovanardi
, granted entry in Italy to 4130 children from 58 countries, up from 3964 in 2009 (4.2% increase), 639 of which were special needs
children.
The first country of origin is the Russian Federation with 707 children, but there was a particularly high increase in the number of children from Colombia
, who numbered 592 compared to 444 of 2009. Colombia is therefore the second largest country of origin, followed by Ukraine
with 426 adoptions, Brazil
with 318, Ethiopia
with 274, Vietnam
with 251 and Poland
with 193.
There was a significant increase of children from Latin America
(+16.34%) and Asia (+34.71%) despite changes in domestic laws taking place in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia
and Nepal
. Children from African countries
numbered 443.
The Italian region with the highest number of adoptions is Lombardy
, followed by Latium
, Tuscany
and Veneto
, but a significant increase was noted in the southern regions, especially Campania
, Apulia
, Calabria
and Sardinia
. The only region where international adoptions in 2010 decreased by 14% was Sicily
.
Foreign children adopted by Italian couples in 2010 were on average 6 years old, up from 5.9 in 2009.
International adoption
International adoption is a type of adoption in which an individual or couple becomes the legal and permanent parents of a child that is a national of a different country...
, domestic adoption
Domestic adoption
Domestic adoption is the placing of a child within the same country as the child’s birth. This may be achieved through a private agency or the state, such as foster care.-Domestic adoption:...
from within Italy being relatively difficult.
In 2006 there were 11,000 couples in Italy on the waiting lists of various adoption agencies.
As in most jurisdictions, prospective adoptive parents are required to undergo assessment and must show that they will make suitable parents. Italian law requires adopters to be married (or living together) for at least 3 years. There are also restrictions on the age difference between the prospective parents and the child or children they wish to adopt. Adoption by gay couples is illegal in Italy, as is adoption by single parents.
According to statistical data published by the Italian Commissione per le Adozioni Internazionali, 2010 was the year with the highest number of international adoptions by Italian couples. The Commission for International Adoptions, chaired by Undersecretary Senator Carlo Giovanardi
Carlo Giovanardi
Carlo Amedeo Giovanardi is an Italian politician and member of the Parliament..-Political career:He graduated in jurisprudence, and did his military service in the Carabinieri...
, granted entry in Italy to 4130 children from 58 countries, up from 3964 in 2009 (4.2% increase), 639 of which were special needs
Special needs
In the USA, special needs is a term used in clinical diagnostic and functional development to describe individuals who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, or psychological. For instance, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and the International...
children.
The first country of origin is the Russian Federation with 707 children, but there was a particularly high increase in the number of children from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, who numbered 592 compared to 444 of 2009. Colombia is therefore the second largest country of origin, followed by Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
with 426 adoptions, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
with 318, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
with 274, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
with 251 and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
with 193.
There was a significant increase of children from Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
(+16.34%) and Asia (+34.71%) despite changes in domestic laws taking place in countries such as Vietnam, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
. Children from African countries
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
numbered 443.
The Italian region with the highest number of adoptions is Lombardy
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
, followed by Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
and Veneto
Veneto
Veneto is one of the 20 regions of Italy. Its population is about 5 million, ranking 5th in Italy.Veneto had been for more than a millennium an independent state, the Republic of Venice, until it was eventually annexed by Italy in 1866 after brief Austrian and French rule...
, but a significant increase was noted in the southern regions, especially Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
and Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. The only region where international adoptions in 2010 decreased by 14% was Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.
Foreign children adopted by Italian couples in 2010 were on average 6 years old, up from 5.9 in 2009.