Activities

Amici dei Bambini tackles the abandonment emergency with 4 types of action.

International Adoption

When abandoned children cannot be reintegrated in their families of origin, and when national adoption is impossible, the last chance they have of being welcomed in a family in a permanent way is international adoption. Amici dei Bambini has been authorised to promote international adoptions since 1992 and helps Italian families who wish to adopt a foreign child throughout the adoption cycle, from the start of the adoption procedures to the arrival and the growth of the child within the family.

Foster care

An abandoned child or a child that has been taken away from the family of origin can be welcomed on a temporary basis by a foster family: foster care is a form of temporary care which allows children to continue living a family relationship while they wait for a family that shall be their family forever. Ai.Bi. organises Foster Care training courses and manages Foster Homes and Family Service Centres.

International Co-operation

In order to guarantee the right of abandoned children to live in a family in their country of origin, Ai.Bi. promotes Co-operation projects with the local NGOs and institutions, to help children go back to their families of origin, to promote national adoption and to help abandoned adolescents and young people integrate in society.

The culture of nurturing

An abandoned child is a responsibility for every member of society “even though I am not guilty of his/her abandonment, I am nevertheless responsible for it”. In order to raise awareness and inform public opinion, the operators and the families on the multiple facets of the abandonment emergency and in order to create the basis for a culture of nurturing, Ai.Bi. promotes events, research, studies, meetings and publications. Within this context, an important initiative is the Spirituality of Adoption.