Fostering homes, fostering love

Over a year ago, the National Foster Care Association Malta published the results of a survey which revealed the need for improved financial benefits and more.

79% of the families - out of 153 families - felt the service offered by government in the foster sector could stand to be improved.

Such services are not only tied to the financial aspect of fostering, but also the need to increase education and awareness on fostering, and the improvement of legislation and support services.

In comments to MaltaToday, NFCAM President Jason Zerafa said the association is meeting with various stakeholders to discuss the report.

"We must find the right solutions to improve the current situation," Zerafa said. "In this report, we are not only saying what needs to be improved, but we are also giving our ideas on how this can be done."

He said that foster families need continuous improvement, mainly for the children they are taking care of: "Foster care is one of the greatest acts of kindness that people can commit to in their lifetime. But fostered children can be vulnerable, hurt and traumatized."

The Association highlighted four ways by which the situation could be improved: support to foster carers and financial aspects; increase in awareness, communication among the foster carers themselves and legislation.

Increase in financial benefits

"Unfortunately, many foster carers find themselves spending more money on the children they are fostering than they receive from the State," Zerafa said. "This is clearly not fair on foster carers."

Zerafa argued that the State should consider a review of the funding that the foster carers receive, if it really appreciates the work they do.

He said expenses increase as the child grows: "This prompts the question of setting a minimum Child in Care benefit up to five years of age, and an incremental increase for every five years of the child's age up to the completion of the foster care period."

Zerafa said that foster families are putting in a lot of effort to cope with the expenses to raise their fostered children.

"We acknowledge that this benefit has increased, however it is surely not enough to make up for the day-to-day requirements that come into play when raising a child," Zerafa said.

He added increase in human resources in fostering sector would eradicate any potential abuse as ongoing monitoring of foster families is efficiently performed.

Zerafa reiterated the need for childcare leave and other childcare benefits granted to birth and adoptive parents.

Educate the educators, increase communication

The 2010 survey revealed widespread concern among foster carers on the lack of competence in public and private schools on dealing with fostered children.

Zerafa said there's a great need to educate the educators.

"We need to spell out the difference those children in foster care experience when they are supported and understood at school, to those who do not have a clue of how children in foster care feels when they are discriminated because of their situation."  Zerafa said University students learning to work with children must understand what traumatised children pass through.

"We do not want to put fostered children in the limelight, but we have to work hard so that at least they are treated in a humane way," Zerafa said, adding all school staff must be attentive to their needs.

"This kind of awareness should also be spread to lawyers, doctors, police officers and civil servants."

Zerafa said that even communication among foster carers must improve: "We must find ways and means on how to attract foster carers to show more interest in the benefits of communicating with each other."

He added there are other social works who do not consider foster carers as equal partners in planning the fostered child's future.

"We must make sure that communication with various governmental departments is effective in order to eliminate certain silly questions when for example foster carers apply for the Pink Card and passports. Procedures must be clarified to the staff working at the departments concerned."

Child-centered legislation

Zerafa said that despite talks on how legislation protects a child's interest, this must be backed by facts: "There still exist situation where the child's interest is not given the merited priority. NFCAM recommends a review of the present Foster Care Act in order to reflect the current needs, support and rights."

Foster carers repeatedly complain of the red tape they face in trying to get a passport issued and authorised. This often took a considerable amount of time and was never straightforward, foster carers say.

Another problem mentioned was the fact it required the signature of the biological parents, which at times can be difficult to obtain.

"The process must be facilitated and a more straightforward practice must be adopted," Zerafa said, adding certain unnecessary questions and embarrassing statements from staff at the passport office can be eliminated.