EurAdopt Conference 2018
The EurAdopt Conference 2018 and the EurAdopt General Meeting took place in Milan, Italy, on May 24th and 25th. The theme of the 2018 conference was: “The IA Dilemma”.
In total 248 guests from various countries participated, including 31 representatives from European Central Authorities.
The Conference aimed to discuss whether adoption is the right and most efficient way to protect the best interest of the child. Among others, academicians, psychologists and lawyers from the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference took part in the discussions.
Angelo Moretto, the former Chairman of EurAdopt, opened the conference by stating that International Adoption is changing, that the background of children available to adoption is changing as well as people interested in adopting. Thereafter a discussion on the positive and negative outcomes of the decreasing numbers of adoptions was held. Experts from both countries of origin and receiving countries were participating.
In a presentation held by Gera ter Meulen, a representative of the Netherlands in EurAdopt, Post Adoption Services (PAS) in the EurAdopt countries were illustrated. Ter Meulen concluded that PAS are an important support for adoptive families and for the development of adoptees. Furthermore, she stated that adoptees’ potential need for PAS is lifelong.
Also, a round table discussion with representatives from Central Authorities from several countries was organised on the conferences’ second day. During the discussion it was said that a greater cooperation between countries of origin and receiving countries is needed. Al though the Hauge Convention has facilitated finding shared objectives, there is more to do. Many of the panellists agreed that it is important to share common rules and principles. Summarily, the EurAdopt Conference 2018 gave valuable perspectives on IA, from both countries of origin and receiving countries.