Labour to extend adoption for children under care orders

The most important thing for children is to live in a family environment, but unfortunately not everyone is as lucky as to enjoy this basic human right.

Social Policy Minister Marie Louise Coleiro Preca today announced that she was working together with parliamentary secretary for justice Owen Bonnici to see that children with care orders can be put up for adoption.

"These are children who cannot live with their birth parents because of the traumatic experience they lived, children who suffered violence and have been placed under a care order by Court," she said.

Lauding the work carried out by institutions such as the St Joseph Home - currently home to 15 children aged between 8 and 18 - Coleiro Preca said the best thing for a child was still the family environment.

"The institutions are offering these children the next best thing, but we must push for these children to be adopted," she said.

Adoption would not include those children in temporary care until their parents resolve particular issues such as financial problems.

The minister however added that the government must also take a proactive approach in providing the necessary support to institutions so that social problems are tackled from the e ginning and not allow the problem to degenerate.

Coleiro Preca said that currently there were 350 children waiting to be assessed, a number of whom may need to be taken out of home. 60 others are on a waiting list, waiting to be placed in an institution. The minister will be seeking the help of Church institutions to find accommodation for these children.

Coleiro Preca insisted that whatever decisions is taken, this must always be done in the child's best interest and each case must be tackled individually and with sensitivity.

She said that youths who reach maturity age should not be left on their own but must be followed and given the necessary support until they gain an independent life and are able to support themselves. This would include shelter, education and training.