Cap. 495 чл. 24BIdentifying and matching with approved prospective adoptive parents.

(1) Where the parents retain the view that the minor is to be given up for adoption, the Director (Child Protection) shall immediately inform the Adoption Service within the Directorate of

Alternative Care (Children and Youth) who shall immediately identify all registered and approved prospective adoptive parents whose profile and preferences match those of the minor.

(2) The Adoption Service within the Directorate for Alternative Care (Children and Youth) shall, after identifying all registered and approved prospective adoptive parents whose profile matches that of the minor, convene a meeting with at least three (3) professionals coming from different fields that shall include:

(a) a family therapist;

(b) a psychologist;

(c) a social worker in the grade of ‘senior social worker’; or

(d) a person who is a professional who works within the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, with at least three

(3) years professional experience in working with children in alternative care, and who does not work with the Adoption Service within the Directorate for Alternative Care (Children and Youth) or with any accredited adoption agency.

(3) When the most suitable prospective adoptive parents are identified, the Directorate of Alternative Care (Children and Youth) shall inform the identified prospective adoptive parents of the match.

(4) Where the prospective adoptive parents identified refuse the match, the Directorate of Alternative Care (Children and Youth) shall contact the next identified prospective adoptive parents.

(5) Where none of the identified prospective adoptive parents identified accept the match, the Director Alternative Care (Children and Youth) shall notify the Adoption Service within the Directorate of Alternative Care (Children and Youth) and the said matching process shall start from the beginning.

(6) When the identified prospective adoptive parents accept the match, the transition of the minor with the prospective adoptive parents shall commence according to the plan drawn up by the professionals.

(7) Each matching phase meeting shall take place within eight

(8) working days from the notification of the concerned Director, and the whole process shall not take longer than thirty (30) working days to be concluded.