In 2016, three children were adopted in Montenegro

Three children were adopted in Montenegro in 2016, and there are 362 in foster families, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare (MLSS) announced. As they stated, 90 children are currently staying in the "Mladost" Children's Home. The department told the MINA agency that in 2016, 11 applications for the adoption of children were submitted. They explained that, unlike foster care, which is a temporary form of child protection, adoption creates a bond equal to that between biological parents and a child. "Prospective adoptive parents must be aged between 30 and 50, while one of them can be older only in exceptional circumstances. The difference in age between the adoptive parent and the child cannot be less than 18 and more than 50 years", specified the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The status of an adoptive family, they add, can be obtained by a family that fulfills the requirements prescribed by law and that, during the preparation and assessment, shows that it can understand and meet the individual needs of the child in the best possible way. MRSS explains that foster care can be provided by a family (couple or individual) that has the desire and ability to provide the child with the care, assistance and living conditions necessary for its proper growth and development. "The status of a foster family can be obtained by a family that fulfills the requirements prescribed by law, that has been assessed as suitable and that, during the preparation and assessment, shows that it can understand and meet the needs of the child in the best possible way," said the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. As they said, foster families, regardless of whether they have one or more members, must guarantee that they will provide adequate care for the child in terms of his protection, care and education. The Ministry points out that children have the right to freely express their opinion regarding the planning of their accommodation. "Their opinions will be respected in accordance with their maturity (the possibility for the child to understand the meaning of his expressed opinion and/or the decisions he may make in that way)," said the Ministry of Education and Culture.