Today, despite a significant effort to reduce bureaucratic hassle and normalize the adoption process, there are still obstacles; what are the most important?
Moderator : Alexandra Kaimenou,Journalist
Experts:
Domna Michailidou, Deputy Minister of Labourand Social Affairs
Vicky Volioti, Actress
Katerina Palaiothodorou, Singer – Songwriter, Fairy Tale Writer
To watch the full episode
Adoption and fosterage of a child is a matter that changes people's lives, tying them to a sacred agreement. This process, however, can provedifficult, laborious and time consuming for prospective parents, adoptive parents or foster parents, but also for the children themselves.
At the same time, changes in the structure of the traditional family (single parenthood, couples with cohabitation agreement, same-sex couples) raise new questions on the issue of adoption.
Today, despite a significant effort to reduce bureaucratic hassle and normalize the adoption process, there are still obstacles; what are the most important? Are there any other ways to adopt a child besides the process through an institution? What characteristics should a person have in order to be considered capable ofadopting a child? How can the concept of "being a good parent" be evaluated? How can the soul wounds of a child, who has lived in an institution, be healed? As a society, have we overcome the taboos on raising an adopted child?
In this Experts Talk, journalist, Alexandra Kaimenou, welcomes the Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Domna Michailidou, stepmother and actress, Vicky Volioti, and foster mother, singer and writer, KaterinaPalaiothodorou, in a discussion about the difficulties and the magic of such a life journey.
Alexandra Kaimenou was born and grew up in Athens. She studied at Harokopio University in the Department of Geography and at the same time she graduated from ANT1 Media Lab.
She made her first steps in journalism in 2012, making a show dedicated to the Greek community, on ANT1 Satellite Channels.
Since late 2015 she’s worked in the Newscast of ANT1, initially doing freelance reporting and then as an accredited journalist at the Ministry of Labor.
Later, she presented the show "Kalokairi Mazi" on ANT1, in the summer of 2019.
In the autumn of the same year and for one season she worked alongside Giorgos Papadakis in the show “Kalimera Ellada”.
Since October 2020, she belongs to the staff of ERT, presenting the daily news program "Syndeseis” together with Costas Papachlimintzos.
Dr. Domna Michailidou is an academic economist who deals with economic development and the financial crisis. She studied economics at the University of York and holds a master's degree in Development Studies and a PhD in Development and Economic Crisis from the University of Cambridge.
She has worked in the OECD Directorate of Economic Studies in Paris and as an economist specialised in competition, in Athens for the OECD. She has served as a special advisor to governmental and non-governmental organisations such as the UN, the FAO and the British Council. She has also coordinated national business incentive plans, as a research fellow at the Cambridge Center for Middle East Studies, the Sudanese Chamber of Commerce and the Iranian Ministry of Health.
She was an advisor to Kyriakos Mitsotakis from late 2016 until the 2019 elections, on a number of issues related to structural reforms and financial markets.
After the elections of July 7, 2019, she assumed the duties of Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, in charge of welfare issues, in the government of New Democracy.
Vicky Volioti is an actress. Born in Bonn, Germany, she is a 1991 graduate of the Drama School of the National Theater of Greece and a graduate of Panteion University, Department of Political Science. She has done classical ballet and speaks German and English very well. She is a member of the European Film Academy EFA and has many important appearances in theatrical performances, television productions and films. In 1995 she received the State Award for Best Actress from the Ministry of Culture, for the film "With a Scream" directed by V. Iliopoulou.
Katerina Palaiothodorou is a professional singer, songwriter and author of children's fairy tales. She is engaged with children's theater, uploading her own plays in charge of the text, music and direction.
She has studied psychology, with a specialisation in child psychology, classical guitar, piano, accordion and music theory, with a degree in contemporary song and music therapy.
She has been teaching Phonetics and Orthophony professionally to adults for the last 13 years in conservatories and IEK, as well as in children's departments, working with theatrical plays and experiential learning as well as music therapy in multi-member departments or in individual sessions in the workshop of "Krakatuk".
She is foster mother of a 6-year-old boy and considers this to be the most important and enjoyable lifelong study in love and understanding.
"The aim of the lessons is to find our inner voice, without fear, with protection and love for ourselves. The valuable tool of our vocal cords and the whole body functions as a vehicle of our psychology and existence.
"We learn to 'press firmly' as a voice but also as a whole entity through a holistic mood of self-improvement and repositioning."
