Government to introduce Children’s Act and Child Policy

Children’s Act and Child Policy in the pipeline, to protect the rights and interests of children, family minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca says.

26 April 2013, 12:00am
by Staff Reporter

1 min read

Unlike the previous administration, the Labour government would seriously address children's' needs in a timely fashion, family minister Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said.

The minister was addressing a conference entitled 'The Rights of the Child in Foster Care' organised by the National Foster Care Association Malta (NFCAM).

She said the government will introduce the Children's Act and Child Policy to safeguard children's interests and rights. Coleiro Preca said these would be introduced following a wide consultation process, which would also involve children.

"The government is committed to give a voice to all children," she said, adding that Malta's legal and structural development in the field stalled.

"Children are not only our future but they are also our present, therefore it is necessary to have long term strategies in place to guarantee a better environment for our children."

She added that the Foster Care act also required amendments to protect the rights of foster children and foster parents.

More from Staff Reporter

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This is a long due and desperately needed initiative. I sincerely hope that it will be carried out on the basis of well researched evidence (that is already available), service-user involvement and consultation (including children, birth parents and foster parents) and specialised as well as broad professional consultation. I am sure that much of this research and consultation has already taken place. If this process is carried out as it should, it will inevitably point toward a number of lacunae not only in the law and policy but also in service provision. This may well reveal the need for reform but most certainly investment, an investment that the implementing administration should be ready to make if it wishes families to be given the services of protection and development they deserve.

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This is a good and noble initiative. Well done. However there was no need to have a go at the previous government. Considering the issue, children, it should not be politicised, as doing so is tasteless and counterproductive. Pity!