During the first nine months of this year, 1,519 hopeful couples living in Lazio have applied to adoption a child. Some 900 of these would-be parents applied through national agencies while over 600 have taken the international route. Of the 236 children who have found new homes, 158 have come from abroad with the remaining 78 from within Italy. These are just some of the figures released with the launch of Dopo ladozione (After adoption), a programme run by the international humanitarian organisation, Amici dei Bambini (www.aibi.it), and financed by the Rome authorities that provides free orientation classes for recently-adopted children and their new parents. With the help of psychologists and child-education specialists, the authorities aim to help families to adjust to their new circumstances and learn from the experiences of others that adopt. Amici dei Bambini also promises to stay in touch with the families and to be an ongoing source of assistance and advice should any problems arise.