ATHENS – An online record of children in care of the Greek state will be ready by the end of January, making it faster and easier for adoptions and guardianship of those without parents, Deputy Minister for Social Solidarity Domna Michailidou, said in Parliament..

That came in response to question by lawmaker Ioannis Balafas, from the major opposition and former ruling Radical Left SYRIZA, who said the program should be accelerated without explaining why his party didn’t do it during their 4 1/2-year reign.

“Our policy is to de-institutionalize children, and the key to quickly resolving this problem is the electronic registry we have created and operates, which will link prospective parents or foster parents with children,” Michailidou told lawmakers, said Kathimerini.

She said applications for adoption and fostering, along with seven state-run and 47 private child protection bodies have already been added to the system that is creating the country’s first integrated online platform for adoption and fostering.

It brings together details of children waiting for a home and prospective parents from social services, agencies and organizations, including their background, medical history and other personal details of interest to prospective parents, who will also be screened for suitability.

The new adoption and fostering law, introduced by the previous government of SYRIZA in 2019, before they were ousted in July 7 elections by New Democracy, was designed to cut the time it takes to pace a child with adoptive or foster parents from the current average of six years to less than 12 months, and allows same-sex couples to become guardians of orphans.